


old pages and dusty i love yous

by NoodlePie



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, LITG, Light Angst, Love Island, Public Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Smut, love island the game - Freeform, noah love island, noah x mc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-01 18:23:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20365000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoodlePie/pseuds/NoodlePie
Summary: Artemis can't sleep after the end of the show as it didn't end the way she wanted it nor with who she wanted it with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to say that I made the library way more aesthetic than it actually looks lol for romantic mood. I genuinely hope I managed to portray him as accurate as possible. It an idea that's been itching my brain for some time now, so I hope you guys like it. It was a grand pleasure to write and imagine. Also, I so do not have an idea what Romford is like so pls dont kill me if I was completely wrong about it.

After the experience that Love Island had been, the real world felt different to Artemis. The disappointment of being dumped and not winning was still stinging inside her, although it had never even been about the money, she had never auditioned for the monetary prize but for the chance to meet someone she really clicked with and then steadily take that person to the end and have their grand ceremony to celebrate their newlyfound love. None of that happened to her. If anything, her stay in the Villa made her more insecure and more exhausted but the one good thing she had returned home to was the mostly positive public opinion on her and her cozy bed. 

The first night at her own house was the weirdest. She came home to an empty house that looked exactly the same way as she had left it. Clothes scattered around from her packing to go to the Villa, her car waiting for her in her designated parking spot outside the building and settled dust. At least the were no new family members like rats or any other scallywags. It felt strangely lonely. She had always loved living alone but after sharing a bedroom with so many people for a month and cuddling every night, her solitude now made her sad. She missed her friends and the long days in the sun, the funny games they were all playing all day, Bobby’s pranks, the nerdy conversations with Carl, Noah and Rahim and gossip time with her girls. 

That should have been a happy moment, she thought as she poured some wine in a Halloween mug. Her phone had been blowing up all day from her friends and family texting her and she wasn’t happy about that either. It wasn’t her Villa phone announcing some cheeky challenge but her normal life barging in through the door, coming to grab her by the neck and body slam her on the hard floor. Her last year in university was also coming very soon. The thought of all the old chores coming back made her chug her wine faster and then settle in her living room and watch nothing else on TV but her own performance, because of course, it made sense to boost her nostalgia as hard as she can and drunkenly cry wrapped in her blanket. She had the chance to see everything the public had seen and used to judge her and what the other Islanders had been saying about her. 

It took her a couple of weeks to be fully done with her season and completely dissociate by the concept of watching herself on screen as if she was some movie character. Chelsea had made sure that a group chat was made to keep in touch and discuss the episodes as apparently everyone was watching them but no one dared to address the toxicity of Hope and Noah and how manipulative and possessive she had been towards him and how unloyal he had been towards her after Artemis had kissed him. Not to mention that the Nope discussion between Rahim, Bobby, Artemis and Priya was a complete taboo and was to never be talked about. Maybe the reason why none of the Islanders wanted to discuss it was that Nope weren’t together anymore after their dramatic breakup on the show that made the air around them very awkward. After Noah’s breakdown and finding out that he had hooked up with Artemis twice in secret, Hope had completely lost it too and there was no chance that they could be friends ever again and Artemis wasn’t bothered by that. She was bothered by the fact that her mind still lingered around his mysterious being and that she wanted to talk to him and had almost messaged him so many times but never fully committed to it out of fear. What if he was mad at her after seeing all the episodes and never wanted to talk to her again and she ended up looking like a complete idiot once again? What if he wanted to be with Hope again? What if he had someone else already? What if, what if, what if…

Artemis had never been in love before and she didn’t know much about love as her past relationships had been a nightmare after nightmare, toxic destruction leaving her a broken misery and somehow her experience on Love Island had failed to show her the better side of dating and getting swept off one’s feet. But as far as her knowledge went, not being able to focus on anything but a single person and everything they do and say, was a part of “Falling in love 101”. The idea of  _ falling _ scared her. She had a degree to pursue, exams to take, now that she was almost a celebrity, different brands and media were looking for her for all kinds of interviews and brand deals. Her life had gotten significantly busier and still, all she could think about were his kisses and the way his fingertips glided over her skin or how his accent shifted around her name and the shivers it sent whenever he pronounced it out loud or the way he laughed at her jokes or how she pretended she hadn’t already read all the biology books he recommended her because of the excitement note in his voice. He even told her he will make her a library card if she ever visited him which always made her smile like a fool, no matter the surroundings but there was one moment that threw her over the edge of her own sanity. The day of her breakdown in the dressing room when she had fallen apart right in front of him and how he wiped her tears away and kissed her so passionately and the whole scene that had followed. None of her hookups and sexual prowess couldn’t explain why it made her so weak to think about it, weeks after it had happened. 

But her heart could. 

According to it, it was long past the falling and it was more about the damage of the fall at this point, and from a good look at it, it was a lot of damage. Proof of that was her, sitting in her car, after an annoying interview about drama in the Villa, blasting the radio loudly, so she could cover her own screams of frustration. She thought it was unacceptable. It was absolutely bizarre and gross and it made her do stupid things like the next thing that came to her mind that she took no time to consider truly. 

Chelsea and Priya would support it, she thought as she got on the highway. She wasn’t even completely sure she could find what she was looking for, but she hoped that the universe would be on her side that day and the whole Noah saga could be wrapped up, so she could carry on with her life and be her old adult self whose dream was to crack into the secrets of genetics and how to block the Grim Reaper gene and stop the aging and dying process in humans and animals, not day dream about a beautiful boy that had no idea what he wanted and if he wanted it. She had actual goals and dreams that didn’t involve the presence of a sappy, bubbly, heart and brain farts. 

Half-way there, she started panicking and realized that what she was about to do was a horrible idea and she shouldn’t do it and she should just turn around and go back home and call the girls and rant to them for an hour and finally admit how lost she was feeling and how much she missed the Villa and specifically Noah.

However, the exit to Romford was before the one back to London and her arms turned the steering wheel before her consciousness could stop her and realize her actions. 

She took a moment to scream and be angry with herself once again.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Fucking stupid. 

Once she started seeing the outlines of the city, her lungs became too small for the oxygen she needed to function properly. She didn’t even know why she was so scared. She tried to calm herself down before she passed out while driving and ended up breaking not only her heart but her whole body as well. Deep breaths, deep breaths. Every inch of her body started tingling with anxiety but she quickly remembered to try and fool herself that she’s excited, not anxious.

Excited, not anxious. Excited, not anxious.Excited, not anxious.Excited, not anxious.

Excited. 

Excited to see him again in the real world after indirectly causing the whole fallout of him and Hope and making the most dramatic episode of the show’s running history.

She pulled over to put the address of the town’s library on her phone, only to find out that there are like five of them there. How many libraries did Romford even need?

Think. Think. Think. 

In the few times when he had talked about the library, there was nothing interesting about it except…

Perfect. He had mentioned once the high number of ambulance sirens and how disturbing it got sometimes because of the hospital right next to it. 

That narrowed it down to exactly one location and there was an hour until closing time which was perfect. 

The closer she got, the giddier she felt and that scared her. The whole evening could be a massive disaster or a huge success. 

So close. 

Fortunately for her, the library had its own parking so that definitely saved her time that she used to make herself leave the car and walk inside. Her heart was about to burst into a million pieces and her hands started shaking. 

Fucking hell, she thought. 

She proceeded to slap herself twice and check out her reflection in the mirror and she walked out of her car, locking it behind her. 

Her feet felt like heavy cement blocks and as if her vehicle was suddenly calling her to go back inside and never move again. It was like high school all over again, when she had that massive crush on a girl from the grade above hers and she was so desperately trying to ask her out but this time she was an adult that had a massive crush on a boy that happened to be very shy and confused. 

The click of the door knob clicking open, detonated all the fireworks in her heart and she started feeling her heartbeat in her throat as well as in her feet and hands and stomach. She stepped inside and quietly closed the glass door behind her back trying to be as sneaky and stealthy. 

The library was beautiful on the inside. She had no idea what to imagine, as Romford seemed to be not a greatly fancy town but that was definitely a pretty old library with long and proud book shelves everywhere and the familiar smell of old paper and dust filling the air. The walls were decorated with different paintings and event posters and also several scattered tables with flowers vases on them and some extra pamphlets about the different clubs and activities that were taking place there. It was quiet too. So quiet, she thought everyone would be able to hear the blood rushing through her veins or maybe her steps were too loud or her breathing too hard. 

Artemis loved libraries. They inspired her to study harder and she had the annoying habit of checking out way too many books that she never managed to read before they were due and she definitely preferred the printed copies rather than the e-books. She loved the feeling of the old yellow paper and how the covers cracked when she opened whatever book she was reading and often thought about all the people that had picked up and read that exact edition. The smell of old had something mystical about it that made her happier. 

She walked around, hiding behind the bookcases in an attempt to collect whatever courage she had hidden in her cells and possibly calm down her nerves before she made a complete fool of herself in front of the boy she was there to see. 

Back in the Villa, she had imagined that moment so many times. She imagined them hiding between all the books to kiss and how they would play pretend and how once he knew what she liked to read, he would give her all the best editions there. But back in the Villa, it felt like the wildest of dreams and all of a sudden she was there and so was he. Somewhere in the same room that was filled with hundreds of stories describing love and heartbreak similar to theirs and so much knowledge but not a single word that could help her not melt at the sight of him. Not a single word that could make her desire him less. If anything, they deserved a story of their own. 

As she explored the isles and isles of books, she thought about the fact that he was probably the one who arranged them there and imagined him thoughtfully putting them back every time after someone returned them with so much care and love. That vision made her calmer and even stretched her lips in a smile that she tried to shake off but resulted in failure.

He was in that same library in that same moment and neither one of them knew how their day would end. She walked to the far end of the long hall and as she was approaching the reading area, she could hear the low hum of a voice. A voice she could recognize anywhere under any circumstances. A voice so soft and smooth, it made her feel like sheets of silk were caressing her soul and it made her feel safe. 

It was completely silent except for that dreamy sound and the occasional giggle that sounded like it belonged to kids. 

It dawned upon her that it was a Tuesday and she went all the way back to the first days in the Villa and how she had asked him for a random fact about him and he had told her he reads books to kids and he even does the voices matching all the roles in the magical tales his lips breathed life into. 

Noah was sat on a wooden chair surrounded by a group of kids and toddlers that were sitting on a carpet, all of their eyes pointed in his direction as the words slipped from his mouth in different intonations and pitches. Every once in a while, he stopped for a short second to look at them appreciatively as they laughed and he smiled back at them as if he was there for them and not the other way around. 

He was wearing a pair of reading glasses and a white hoodie combined with a pair of dark blue jeans and the white sneakers she had already seen during their time as housemates. 

Truth be told, that was the most attractive she had ever seen him, and she had seen him in all of his nude glory when they had hooked up on the terrace and then in the dressing room and until then, she could swear nothing could beat those two images but there she was, scratching them and replacing them with the one of him doing what he loved most.

That was the moment she realized that she was truly in love with this man and as much as it scared her, she knew she wanted to sacrifice all of her pride and put all of her cards on the table for him to pick up and flip around until he decided whether he liked them or not. 

His soft smile only stretched wider and wider as the kids were falling back laughing until he couldn’t handle but laugh himself. Ah, that sweet ring of his laughter. 

Artemis leaned on a tall bookshelf, making sure he couldn’t see her if he looked up and embraced the beautiful sight that was in front of her eyes. She couldn’t imagine Hope putting up with that particular hobby of his or understanding the love that he was putting in every breath he used to entertain all of those little angels. In a few minutes, she found herself completely mesmerized, her head blank for everything else but the story he was recreating. 

She dreamt of him reading to her, cozied up in a blanket on his couch or on an endless grass field with birds up in the sky and the sun kissing their skin ever so softly, where all the drama from the Villa was so far away they could barely remember it and there was nothing else but the excitement and adoration they had for each other. No guilt, no anxiety, no pain or fear. 

In a little while, as closing time approached, the parents of the kids came to pick them up, Artemis returned back to Earth from her journey and realized he was about to close the book soon and stand up from his seat and then she had to approach him. 

Her heart choked up in her throat as she looked at him send a final smile to the kids and say “The end.” and then carefully close the paper pages and tuck them under his arm. 

She stayed frozen as he sat up and politely shook hands with some of the parents and then said goodbye to each and every kid and told them to come back next week. Seemed like most of them were regulars based on how they jumped around him, wrapping their little arms around his legs in excitement for the new adventure the next Tuesday had in store. 

“Bye Noah!” a few of them chirped and he sharply turned around towards them and waved goodbye one more time. 

Artemis smiled and patiently waited until all of them were gone, leaving a couple of lonely readers scattered around the desks and couches, trying to read as many pages as possible before they got kicked out. Noah headed to the front desk that was back at the front of the big hall and Artemis walked along with him hiding behind a long wall of shelves and once she reached its end, she peeked to see where he was. 

She noticed he looked so different in his element. Confident in his own little safe haven, surrounded by all the journeys and adventures he ever needed at an arm's reach. It highly contrasted the Noah she had gotten to know, that lounged around an infinity pool, quietly staring at the Spanish vistas while Hope was blabbering about god knows what and called him out every time she noticed he wasn’t paying attention. No, this Noah was relaxed and knew exactly what he was doing. He was in complete control and that gave Artemis a little extra courage that he wasn’t going to freak out and run away at the sight of her. 

She let out a deep breath and made the first step once he sat down on his chair and typed something in the computer that sat hidden under the desk. She pushed herself to walk a little faster and once she was a couple of feet away, there was officially no turning back. 

She leaned her slim arms on the surface separating the two of them and tried to make her voice sound as calm and pretty as she could. 

“Excuse me, uhm, do you think I could have a library card made or am I too late today?” she said, her voice landing softly in a deep mellow pitch. Her hands rested firmly in front of her as she tried to hide how shaky they were and pushed down a violent panic attack. 

He froze for a second and then slowly looked up, annoyance creeping behind his glasses but it quickly melted away as he saw who was standing in front of him. His mouth gaped open and his warm brown eyes widened in shock. 

She prayed that the ground opened and swallowed her whole, rescuing her from whatever scene was about to unravel upon her. 

He came back to his senses and jumped out of his chair to walk around the desk and finally stand tall next to her. Then he lightly shook his head and his lips raised in a smile before he pulled her in his arms for an embrace that lasted longer than either of them expected. 

Artemis wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest like all the times he had comforted her and made her feel accepted. He squeezed her harder and then released her from his clasp but still held onto her arms. 

“What are you doing here, you nerd?” he asked, his face glowing with pure joy. That was better than she ever thought she would get. He looked happy to see her. She felt like crying and doing back flips and then jumping in his arms again and then kissing him over and over again until she stopped missing him so hard and her need for his affection was satisfied. 

“Obviously coming to pick up my library card that I was promised a month ago. “ she tried to force a serious face but failed miserably as Noah’s smile was on the opposite side of her. “I even saw you read.” 

He looked down and blushed for a second before his eyes met hers again. 

“Oh no. That makes me a proper melt. “ he grinned again as she nudged him in the stomach. 

“I loved it. It was the cutest thing I’ve seen. You weren’t joking about the voices. That was some quality acting. “ 

“You’ve seen nothing. Today was mellow. Sometimes we go all out with the characters. “ 

She had no idea her cheeks can stretch more than they already were but there she was, giggling and smiling at him. 

“I would like to see that.” 

His cheeks flushed again and she saw him think of something to get out of his nervousness. 

“Seriously, what are you doing here? There’s no way you drove an hour and a half for a library card. London’s libraries are way bigger and better. “ 

“Well, there was a certain someone I wanted to see but you can never be subscribed to enough libraries either, so I figured, why not score two birds with one stone?” 

He laughed quietly. 

“You do realize you can’t have a card here while you live in London, right?” his expression was still happy and as beautiful as ever. She couldn’t even believe she was seeing him again after almost a month of thinking about it and revisiting the old wounds from the show.

“Then I guess that leaves one bird with a single stone for the certain someone I want to see. “ she shrugged playfully and bit her lip as he graced her with his pretty laughter once again. He didn’t respond for a few seconds and just as Artemis began to panic he looked back at her with a decision made. 

“I just have to close up here but...what do you say we go for a walk or get dinner or something to catch up? Unless you have any plans for tonight and need to drive back soon? “

She almost screamed. Yeah, this definitely was beyond any scenario she had planned or imagined. 

“Absolutely. I would love that. I can even possibly help. Not that I know anything about book codes and that whole book arranging scheme but I’m at your service. “ 

“You can keep me company. I know that’s for sure something you can do very well. “ he winked at her and walked back behind his desk to take all the books that were stacked and gestured lightly with his head for her to follow him. Her heart still pumping fast in her chest, was freaking out significantly less as he appeared to be happy she was there and she walked right behind him. He looked at each book and carefully put it back on its rightful place so lovingly, she found it fascinating. Her previous visions had proven to be true. 

“So, how is the life of Artemis Addams after Love Island? I see they’ve been keeping you busy lately. “ he asked as he placed yet another book on a dusty shelf. She was surprised he remembered her last name as it wasn’t well known and she could swear she had only mentioned it once before and not even to him but to Bobby which meant that he had been eavesdropping. 

“You could say so. I’m not sure I like all that....fame. However it does pay my horrendous student debt, so you gotta do what you gotta do, right? What about you? Anything new and exciting?”

“No. Except that more teenagers and less kids are coming here now. I guess some of the parents didn’t like what they saw on the show.” he smirked and sent her a meaningful look. Yeah, he was absolutely referencing their sexual endeavours that her own mother had called her to scold her about although the production hadn’t shown more than them making out on Artemis’ vanity. 

“Oh, someone’s becoming popular among the teen girls, huh?” she grinned widely at him and picked up some scattered books from around the reading area and held them for him. 

“It’s very uncomfortable, really. You don’t have any boy fans that follow you around?”

“Nope. “ she almost laughed at the word after she said if and figured it would have been very inappropriate but she officially decided that it was forever ruined. “I only receive hate tweets from your fans, actually. It’s not too bad though. I find it kinda funny and also kinda sad, but mostly funny. “ 

His face fell and he shook his head but once he got her song reference he went back to his charming smirk. He had no idea apparently as he wasn’t the biggest fan of social media and being a public figure as some of the other Islanders had become. 

“I’m sorry about that.” he sighed and stopped in his tracks and swiftly turned to face her. “I’m actually sorry about everything. Once it was all over and I was back home I realized I never got to apologize to you about ...Hope. That was proper ugly and unfair to you. I wasn’t sure what to do and I was so ashamed. I couldn’t just text you a crappy apology and then I had no idea how to approach you and ask to see you to do it, so I guess you coming here fits the situation perfectly. So with that - I’m sorry, Artemis, about what Hope said to you and about the public being after you and my outburst in the Villa. I really thought you didn’t want to see me again. I know I wouldn’t want to see me. “ his light brown eyes traveled across her face looking for any miniscule movement to analyze and figure out how she felt and what she was thinking. 

“It’s okay, babes. It’s not your fault.” she stretched her arm forward to grab his hand and he quickly laced his fingers with hers and squeezed lightly. 

“Except that it is. I should have stood up for you. I should have come to you when we were still there and told you how I feel and should have taken action. I watched the whole season and it only made me feel sick. Seeing you talk and cry with Priya and Chelsea over and over again because I was a coward was the worst and it made me feel even more like I don’t deserve you. “ 

He looked mad. Mad at himself to the point where he couldn’t even face her anymore and looked absolutely everywhere else but her eyes. She released her hand from his grip only to cup his face and softly caress his cheek with her thumb and that’s when he finally gave in, relaxed his face into her palm and met her gaze. 

“It’s really okay. I promise. You were in a horrible position. Hope wasn’t easy to deal with. I wish you had asked for help earlier or told someone how she was with you. I’m sorry too. I know I didn’t make it any easier for you there. “ 

His expression mellowed and he melted in her hand once again with a deep sigh. He was looking at her through his glasses with the same look like all of those times in the Villa and it made her nervous and tingly and suddenly she felt the strongest urge to drop all the books in her arms and kiss him fervently. She missed the feel of his lips on top of hers more than anything and the taste of his sweet kisses and how his tongue always smoothly glided over hers with so much hunger. The memory of those kisses were so vivid in her mind, she could almost feel it and apparently he felt it too as their bodies slowly began to move closer and closer, as if suddenly enchanted by each other’s auras and it was crucial that their lips met before they combusted. 

“Excuse me, I’m just looking for the bathroom? I promise I’m leaving after that.“ a voice interrupted them behind Noah and the two of them jumped back to reality, aggressively pulled away by the girl who the voice belonged to. 

“Yes, of course. It’s right over there to the right of the front desk. “ Noah pointed to the direction and forced a polite smile. The stranger eyed Artemis before sending Noah a cute smile and then walked away. 

She stood there smitten at how intense the previous moment had been and how much she suddenly hated that girl for interrupting their bliss. 

They finished putting away the books almost without saying a word and after everyone was out, they locked up the whole place and awkwardly stood in front of the building. 

“So, what do you feel like doing? Hungry?Tired? Bored?” he asked forcing any leftover nervousness far away. 

Artemis thought for a second and then linked an arm with his. He flexed his muscles as she grabbed him and damn, he was strong. 

“Maybe you can just show me around? I’ve never seen Romford. I’d like a nice walk and the weather is perfect too. “ 

“A walk it is then. “ he nodded cheerfully and started leading her away from the library and through the streets of his city talking about the most random stuff they could think of, laughing freely at stupid jokes and enjoying the freedom and the lack of cameras around them or angry eyes following their every move.

At one point during the walk, he dropped her arm from under his, so he could hold her hand instead and laced fingers with hers but not without checking her face to see if she minded it. 

She didn’t. In fact, her whole face beamed with happiness as she looked down at their hands holding. 

“Can I ask you something?” he said as they carried on walking. That definitely didn’t make her feel too excited as judging by his voice, he was not about to ask something funny but something serious and she didn’t know if she was ready.

“Whatever you want. “ she replied, trying to hide her sudden anxiety. 

“Do you think we could have won if we had coupled up again?” 

She stopped walking and pulled him lightly, so he could face her. 

“Probably, yes. Do I care that we didn’t win? No. I think it all happened for a reason and we’re now stronger than we were before we entered the Villa. I know it taught me a good lesson or two. “ 

“Yeah, and what’s that?” 

“To never let the man I’m in love with sit around a stupid edgeless pool all day, in a glamorous villa, next to a woman that makes him unhappy day after day and not do anything about it.” 

His mouth almost fell open but he quickly recovered from her response and he found that there was only one way to respond. 

He pulled sharply, forcing her to lose balance only, so he can catch her and wrap his arm around her waist and sweep her in for a long craved kiss. She slowly relaxed her body once she knew he was holding her steadily and eased into his soft lips that she had been dreaming about so many times. Everything around them stopped existing in the moment of their embrace, all the sounds muted down and all the bywalkers just magically disappeared within the background noise. She felt safe and protected, pressed against his firm chest. She finally felt wanted and not like the dirty little secret that she had taken the role of back in the Villa. 

After a whole month of her twisting and turning in her bed and also in her head, it turned out that he had been doing the same, trying to figure out how to see her and she couldn’t even believe it. 

The kiss prolonged to what felt like ages and it once it was over, they both took a sharp breath and met each other’s eyes only to realize they needed more. Another kiss followed, this time a softer one, to confirm all the things the first one had tried to say. Artemis caressed his face and ran her fingers through his hair, recognizing its familiar softness, except it had grown a little bit and it made it so much easier for her to hold onto it as their lips went back to each other again and again. 

The sound of a loud thunder startled them both and they giggled as their lips were still touching after they had jumped. Artemis was the first one to pull away, so she can look in the sky and to her wonderful surprise, it looked like it was going to rain soon. 

“Looks like you’re lucky today.” he whispered warmly and kissed her temple. 

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” 

“Because you love the rain.” 

She looked at him unbelievingly at the fact that it was yet another random thing he remembered about her. “You’re right. We should make the most of it before it starts pouring. “ she pulled him by the hand and they carried on walking, hands holding, completely comfortable in each other’s presence. A moment later, she realized that she had just basically confessed she was in love with him and his response was to kiss her but not say anything less or more about it. It made her worry. Yeah, it was a very very good kiss but the lack of words or agreement on his side made her feel like he didn’t like her as much as she liked him and maybe the kiss was just a way to dodge a spoken reply. 

They spent the next hour walking carelessly around, enjoying the dark skies and the setting sun until the first drops of rain fell from above and quickly turned into a downpour. 

Artemis’ first instinct was to stretch her arms forward and look up to appreciate the droplets and Noah found himself at a loss of words at the gentle vision she had become at that moment. Her face was soft and calm, a tiny smile hiding in the corners of her lips as the little shiny droplets fell on her skin.

She finally snapped out of her moment and blushed. “I’m sorry, I probably look crazy.” 

“No. You look beautiful. “ his hand made its way to her cheek, neatly tucking a damp strand of hair behind her ear and after another look at her face he lowered to kiss her again, giving them both the cheesiest memory ever, breaking all romance novels and other scenes of rain smooches. 

Regardless of the rain and the night approaching, Artemis felt like sunshine gleamed inside her and her knees suddenly couldn’t keep her standing, so she rested in his embrace. 

With another loud thunder, the rain got heavier and before their clothes could get completely soaked, they ran to the nearest dry spot that happened to be the entrance to an apartment building. They could wait for the rain to slow down there.

The wetness in her clothes and the drop in temperature made Artemis’ body shake lightly and even if she tried to conceal it, Noah still noticed the goosebumps on her skin as she was only wearing a tshirt. His brows furrowed disapprovingly and without even saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. Artemis was tense at first but as she started warming up, her muscles began to relax and she let out that one breath she had been holding for a while. Her mind couldn’t wrap around what was happening. From her finally gathering all of her existing courage to driving up to Romford to telling Noah she was in love with him to him kissing her in the rain like in some sappy rom-com. None of it made sense in her mind and no matter how much she tried to convince herself it was real, it still somehow felt like a dream. 

But he was right there, arms tightly wrapped around her, his chin leaning on top of her head as she had rested it on his chest, both of them watching the rain flood the streets in front of them for a quiet perpetuity. 

“So...are you seeing someone?” he finally spoke and Artemis almost choked. 

“Are you joking?” she huffed and pulled her head back, not breaking their embrace, so she could make sure he wasn’t pulling her leg. He looked somewhat like he was joking but he mostly wasn’t, his lips were pursed tightly and his eyes met hers in an attempt to figure out what the answer was and be prepared for anything that was going to run out of her mouth. Hers widened in surprise and then she almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in. 

“You know damn well I’m not seeing anyone, babes. That’s ridiculous. Are you seeing anyone?” 

His serious expression broke and he huffed out a short laugh.

“Okay, it does sound ridiculous when you turn it around. I guess it’s odd to come back to the real world’s dating rules after the Villa.” 

“I guess so, huh. Going back to all the responsibilities that don’t include grafting all day and smooching on the terrace and trying to figure out who to couple up with or will you be chosen by the person you want. I never thought I would see a day when you and Lottie snoring all night like a couple of closet monsters will be something I miss. “

He finally laughed properly and shook his head. “It wasn’t that bad. “ 

“Oh yes, it was. You know damn well it was.” 

“I can’t believe you remember me for my snoring, Artemis. Nothing else happened there to keep a good one in your mind?” he carefully hinted where he was going with a playful grin that she couldn’t resist but respond with the same to. Hope’s lack of control over him surely had made him braver and she could finally see a better glimpse of who Noah was and she liked him even more. 

“Maybe you should remind me. “ 

He definitely was surprised to hear her say that but he didn’t think too long about it.

There was no one around them on the street, as the weather and sunset had sent everyone inside, so he pushed her against the cold stone wall behind her in one swift movement. She gasped in shock but then sudden surge of arousal shot through her as there was no trace of that sweet, angel boy she had seen in the library but the frustrated version of himself that had the habit of making her legs shake in pleasure and her toes curl. She had long forgotten about how chilly it had become too. Her blood had become boiling hot in the matter of seconds under the way his gaze showed how much he craved her. The longer they stayed frozen, the longer time seemed to stretch until it became unbearable for either one and he cut the short distance between them by locking his fingers in her hair and pulling her closer so her lips could meet with his. The kiss started as a gentle peck and quickly grew into a famished grasp for love and affection. She slid her hands under his white hoodie and moaned lowly at the touch of his soft skin and hard muscles. God, she missed the touch of his skin more than she had even realized. She wanted to explore him and taste him and catch up on all these weeks she hadn’t seen him and all the days in the Villa that she had spent pining after him. She needed him to touch her and crave her back. She needed to never be far away from him again. 

Once his own hands made their way under her shirt, they both realized that this could never end in an easy good night and a see you later someday. He broke out of their passionate kiss and looked at her once again to see where she was in her thoughts. She looked just as flustered, blushing and turned on, her green eyes begging him to take her away and never let her go. 

“Do you...would you like to come over?” he finally whispered after couple of minutes of an internal pep talk. 

She bit her lip and nodded quickly. “I would love to.” 

Fortunately for them, the rain had slowed down to a light sprinkle and the night had fully settled down. The air smelled fresh like trees after rain and the streets were romantically illuminated by tall street lamps. He grabbed her hand and led her in the direction of his home. They weren’t very far either but the walk was going to be long enough for them to feel like they’re bursting at the seams before they could jump on each other. 

“Will you show me your Squiddles collection?” she finally asked to diverge her thoughts from the image of his naked body that she couldn’t wait to see again to something lighter and soften down the tingle between her legs and limbs. 

Noah burst in an adorable laugh. 

“No. I gave those away. However, I do have other collections you might like. “ 

Right. Hope had become the one who shall not be named and everything that reminded him of her was long gone from his life as Artemis was about to take the throne as his rightful queen. 

She couldn’t even believe she was going over his house. Noah’s house. She was going to get a different peek into his life and that was exciting. The idea of her walking inside his apartment made her giddy and her hand tightened its grip on his and he responded with the same. 

So many doors were about to be opened, and the night was very young. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. you are mine and i am yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER TRIGGER!!!! Chapter contains some slight bdsm themes like choking, spanking, slapping, blindfolding!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never put so much energy in a smut and I hope it's not too mediocre, sheesh. It does feel good to finally serve him some justice tho.

Artemis sat down on the couch in Noah’s living room, eyes wide open and trying to take in the reality of her situation. Noah had so politely offered to lend her a shirt since her own clothes were soaked, so she was using the time to take deep breaths and calm herself down. She had gone over boys’ houses before but somehow it always felt dirty but not this time. That was new and exciting and it made her heart tingle.

He lived in a small apartment, a living room with cute kitchen in the further corner and a bedroom. It was definitely cozy though. It somehow perfectly mirrored Noah’s calm personality. From the scattered books everywhere to the melted candles on his tea table, and the half full mugs of old herbal tea and the scrunched up blankets on his couch, including the scent of frankincense and myrrh and the old tea. Everything was just so… _ Noah.  _

“I hope this will do. “ he came back carrying a plain white t shirt and a worried look on his face. Truth was, he was just as nervous about her being there and she was, if not more. He had spent endless hours imagining her doing different tasks around his home like making tea or fixing herself a snack or the two of them racing up and down the building’s staircases or doing her make up in the bathroom or things as simple as her snuggling up next to him on a chilly fall evening while he played with her hair and read some book to her until she fell asleep and he carried her to the bed. He was nervous enough to stare at two plain t-shirts for several minutes trying to figure out if she would like the black one or the white one better and he had settled on the white. He thought she looked great in white. 

She took the shirt, blessed him with a smile and stood up. “It’s perfect. “ she said and proceeded to take her wet shirt off, plopped it on the couch and took the new one, not realizing that she had awoken something inside Noah. He stood frozen, unable to control his gaze that traveled down her body that he had seen dressed in a swimsuit so many times, yet she looked far more naked right then and there. Hell, he had done things to that body of hers. Things he wanted to do again and this time there was no one to walk in and catch them in the act. There was no Hope and there were no other boys to distract them. He wanted to do even more and he wanted her at that exact moment. His initial plan that had been to at least make her some tea before they got back to the kissing and touching that they had started outside, went outside the window along with his self control. 

He snagged the dry shirt out of her hands, threw it somewhere on the floor and pulled her face in to kiss her. She made a sound of surprise and all of her muscles stiffened up at first but then as she realized what was happening, she snapped herself back, so she could respond to his action accordingly. 

His hands moved down to her neck, shoulders and kept going down until he touched her waist and pulled her even closer, without breaking the kiss. The touch of her bare skin drove him wild, her being so vulnerable in his arms, the way she moaned in his mouth. 

She pulled back sharply and looked into his eyes, an idea dawned upon her. An idea that she had developed in her own mind during the sad, lonely nights when she missed him the most. Her brows furrowed and she grinned. 

“Oh no, I know this look. “ he nervously said. Each passing second was adding more fuel to her thirsty fire. She bit her lip and then silently decided to commit to her idea. She wanted him to know what she had gone through and how much she had missed him and exactly how frustrated she was. This whole time, inside the Villa and out, she had only wanted him, body and soul, and he had been so god damn annoying. It was only fair he got what he deserved for sticking with Hope day after day and only sending obnoxious glances at Artemis as if she didn’t deserve to be loved or be first choice. No, now that they were out, she could serve him some justice and put him on his place.

She pulled the fresh shirt that he had put on off him and threw it behind her and dove in for a kiss again, this time with the full scenario unraveling in her head. The kisses stopped being so sweet and were now demanding and making a statement. She was in control. Her fingertips caressed his face and slid down his chest, gradually digging her nails in his skin, making him shake a little. Good, she thought. Make him suffer a little bit. Her hand kept going down until she reached the button of his jeans and once she undid it, she pushed them down, then took a second to appreciate his naked body in front of her. 

Artemis ran her nails down his leg as far as she could and felt his thighs tremble with excitement under her fingertips. Oh, he was definitely getting excited, alright. 

She pulled away once again, her hand moved all the way up to his chest and right when he tried to meet her lips again, she pushed him back, forcing him to fall back on the couch with a genuine surprise written all over his face. He watched her take her own jeans off, not saying a word but definitely saying enough with his golden eyes. He knew that the night was going to be interesting but what he didn’t know was that he was that it was going to be a whole adventure that would stick in the back of his head for a very long time. 

Artemis pushed her hair back and sat on his lap with her legs on each of his sides. Fuck, he looked beautiful, she said to herself suddenly feeling like dropping the whole thing and just cutting straight to the point. No. No shortcuts. If he had made her wait for so long, why shouldn’t he go through the same tease? The whole situation had already progressed from 0 to 100 in about half a second either way. 

Her eyes traveled down from his face then down his flawlessly sculpted torso. She noticed his rapid shallow breaths and his eyes trying to read her gaze and her thoughts. 

“Y..”

“Shh!” she shushed him and put a hand over his mouth. “You don’t talk. Not unless I allow you. Understood?” 

His eyes suddenly glistened at the realization. Once he nodded she moved her hand away from his lips to the back of his neck while she kissed him again, her body moving slowly on top of him only enough to tease him until she decided she wanted to drop down harder and force those little moans out of his chest. Her lips moved to his jawline and then slowly making their way down, each touch sucking lightly on his skin, making him grunt and once she found her spot on his neck she bit lightly with a sound of pleasure as his mouth dropped open gasping. He grabbed her waist and she jumped backwards quickly, to push them away and give him a salty look. She pinned his hands down on the cushion and got so close to his ear, her lips brushed against him ever so slightly. 

“Do not move or touch me unless I allow you to. “ she whispered and couldn’t resist but to bite his ear lobe and delicately suck on it. He shivered under her and that awoke a whole new sense of thirst inside her. He stood frozen while she kept tracing her nails across his chest, her mouth unable to stop kissing his gorgeous body. The sounds he was making or more like trying not to make but failing to conceal, drove her wilder and wilder. 

Meanwhile, he found himself at a complete loss of thoughts or words. He couldn’t believe the position he was in, with Artemis right on top of him, her body grinding on his, their softest spots touching whenever she wanted to, setting his whole body on fire. Several times he almost failed miserably, tempted to touch her and slam her on the couch on her back but he was enjoying her dominance way too much even if it was making him more frustrated than ever. He knew the side of her that was sensitive and gentle, kissing him with so much love and softness. This Artemis different and she was out for revenge and she was insistent on the idea of making him wait until he couldn’t physically do so and the more he showed that he wanted her and leant into her kisses, the more she pulled away and left him hanging. 

Artemis was fixed on making him fail her orders because she was also set on punishing him. So far he had done a relatively okay job at obeying, so she decided it was time to make it a whole lot harder for him, literally and figuratively, so she glided her hand down his torso, all the way to the brim of his boxers and before she moved any further, she looked in his eyes, eager to see the change in his expression as she touched him  _ down there _ . Once her hand moved even further down, he twitched and a louder sough slipped out of him and as she started moving up and down, over his dark blue boxers, he tried to regain control and keep it down but the failure to do so put a pleased smirk on her face. After another minute, her expression switched from smugness to determination. She stood up and reached out her hand to help him up. 

“Come on. Stand up.” she gestured with her fingers for him to hurry up. He gathered himself and took her hand. He almost asked her what she was doing but at least he remembered that he had to be quiet. 

She pulled him to his bedroom that she hadn’t even seen yet and when she clicked the lights on, she didn’t react to it at all since she was interested in nothing but the bed there and she was pleased with what was there as it was a big comfy one with grey sheets and a fluffy blanket neatly put on top of it. Perfect. 

She dragged him to the bottom edge of it and sat him down again then turned to look around the room for something. He had no idea what she had in mind, but he knew that she for sure did. He observed her as she walked around in search of something and he felt more confused than ever but not a word left his lips. She even opened his closet and a second later she turned back around with a black scarf in her hand. 

_ Oh.  _

His mouth swung open as he connected the facts. That was for sure something he hadn’t done before but definitely something he was very eager to. Especially with Artemis. 

“Do you trust me?” she whispered soothingly and pushed his face up with her index finger so their eyes could meet. 

He nodded. 

“Good. Then you’re in for a real treat but not before I decide you deserve it because you definitely do not deserve it yet. “ she tied the scarf around his eyes and made sure he couldn’t see anything. God, he looked even more gorgeous, all exposed and blindfolded. At this point it was getting harder and harder even for her to stay calm. She climbed on top of the bed and moved behind him, her hands gliding lightly over his shoulders. He felt tense under her touch. Maybe it was the millions of thoughts racing through his head or the shockwaves she was sending down his body. His breath escaped his lungs in a short raspy sound that on the opposite side, made her tingle too. 

Artemis ran her nails up and down his back causing him to shiver and then she started slowly kissing his shoulder, drawing a long path to the back of his neck and then glided down his firm chest. His muscles tensed and relaxed under her every touch. His breath faster and faster as her hand went back up and stopped on his collarbones for a short moment to trace along his immaculately chiseled bone structure. Every inch of him was perfect and he stood there asking to be touched by her and no one else. Craving every second of her attention and the way she made him feel so nervous and the wildfire that burned under his skin where their bodies were touching. 

Her slender fingers wrapped around his neck and gently squeezed, forcing his mouth to open and let out a moan of pleasure. 

“Oh yeah?” she whispered in his ear, her tongue grazing on the edges of his ear lobe. She hadn’t thought about choking him before but as she discovered, it was something that turned them both on more than either one could even imagine. She couldn’t help but moan herself at the sounds of his uneven breath and him swallowing under her grip and the way he shivered under her lips exploring his body. 

She stood in front of him, her hand still on his neck. He was being too obedient, she thought. It was no fun unless he was being properly teased and on edge, so she kissed him passionately one more time, biting his lip hard, earning herself a louder moan in her mouth from him. It was so sexy, it made her shiver for a second. No one had the right to be  _ that  _ attractive. No matter how many times she kissed him it seemed to never be enough, as he tasted as sweet as anything and his quivering body was the most beautiful image she had ever seen. Every second she touched him, she wanted him more and more and her addiction for him was becoming deeper and more fatal until she realized that there was no way out and she was so in love with this man and he was so in love with her, craving her just as much, burning to be pleasured by her and no one else. It had been too long, they both discerned. They had waited way too long to be next to each other but in a way, the wait and the pining made everything taste so much more delicious. He knew for a fact that he had never felt like that with Hope or anyone else before and it wasn’t likely anyone else would be able to give him everything that Artemis’s whole being purely was. He wanted to spill in her arms and melt under her kisses forever. He needed to be loved and desired by her. He needed to please her back. He needed her to never leave him.

Their mouths parted and she squished his plump lips with her hand, taking another hungry look at him. It was definitely getting to the point where she couldn’t hold back either. She could only resist him for so long, considering she had been yearning for so long. 

Her thumb glided over his mouth as the rest of her fingers supported his jaw. He responded by opening his mouth and taking her finger in, his tongue swirling and then closing around it. 

Her eyes widened in surprise and she could barely help but let out a grumble. She pulled away quickly, and lightly slapped his cheek in a form of a warning causing him flinch at first and then quickly recover with excitement. That was definitely a sweet sound, accompanied with a whimper he tried so desperately to swallow. 

“You just can’t wait anymore, huh?” she grinned and her hand moved to his chest to push him on his back. He fell with a thump and froze again awaiting for her to take him. 

He was so desperate for her and the fact that he couldn’t even see what was coming for him intensified his ardour. Usually he could read her eyes and figure out where her thoughts were running and lingering but that wasn’t an option at that time, so was left in complete mystery.

She slowly traced one nail from his neck all the way down his chest and down his stomach to the brim of his boxers where she slid the tip of her fingertip to pull it only so she could release it and have it slap him back. He jumped lightly and committed to another failed attempt to tame himself then exhaled deeply. 

She left him hanging for a long moment to raise the pressure of the mystery and keep him guessing and in the same time, decide which route she wanted to take. Decide how much he deserved to receive and how much she wanted to give him and the answer to both was the same. 

_ Everything.  _

She slid her fingers under the brim of his underwear again and pulled them down. He aided her by lifting his muscular thighs, so eager to have her and be inside of her. Once she slid his boxers under his knees, she let them fall down and looked up to see his naked body in its full glorious vision and to top it all of, in his own bedroom. 

Yeah, they had had sex in the Villa before and it had been crazy hot. She had touched him and had an idea of how big... _ he  _ was, but apparently she had underestimated it as what was in front of her was better than her memories of it. A deep breath left her nose sharply at the sight of him waiting. His fists squeezed tightly and his thighs were shaking even if he was obviously trying to calm himself down. 

_Damn_, she shook her head in disbelief that somehow the universe had picked her and no one else, to be the lucky winner of his stunning being and that she had managed to get him so bothered and ready. 

Her tongue landed on his knee, guilty moans getting away from his mouth as it was traveling up his leg to his v-line and once it reached its destination, she took another blank second to tease him harder. He tensed under her in anticipation. 

That was it. No more games. If she hadn’t waited for so long to have him under her control, she would have probably gone for way longer and caused him way more frustration than he could take but she only had so much self control herself.

She touched  _ him _ and his back arched up with a loud whimper at first and then slowly relaxed as her hand moved slowly along his whole length. He was trying so hard to not give her the pleasure of knowing that she was making him feel divine. He just wanted to play her game so badly but he found himself completely unable to. She knew very well what she was doing and there were no gaps to escape or outsmart her. 

Once her tongue joined her hand, he wanted to scream. 

The warm feeling in his lower stomach started spreading across his whole body as her mouth and fingers were doing their magic. A part of him thought that he was dreaming and considered the possibility that the whole experience wasn’t real but the way his lungs were grasping for air and his hands dug into the soft sheets proved him wrong. She was really there and she was really touching him, tongue sliding up and down all the way to the end of her throat just until the edge of her limit. She ran her nails down his bare chest leaving red marks for the morning after to remind him that he belonged to  _ her and no one else.  _ She wanted him to look at himself and remember every second of their exchange, unbelieving that it had happened. She wanted him to feel the marks burn under his shirt while he was putting back books in the silence of his workplace, failing to think about anything else but her. She wanted him to blush at the images of the two of them, scared that his thoughts might be too loud. She had never given herself to a man like that before and that was another reason she knew he was  _ the man. _

Unable to hold her own whines and moans, she lifted herself up and climbed on top of the bed, placing her knees on each side of him. His whole body was shaking hard and no matter how much she tried to seem steady, so was hers, craving him to be inside her again. Last time he had done it was the one time in the Villa while Hope was on a date with Jakub and now she was completely out of the picture and he was no longer another woman’s man but Artemis’. Him letting her blindfold him and use him the way she had, was his surrender and a sign that he was fully willing to commit to her and her only. 

She lowered her body down, so it touched his. Her pussy lightly touching his dick, just enough to tease both of them as she started grinding on him gradually building up the speed and the pressure. 

He made his first big mistake to put his hands on her waist in attempt to guide her but it was against her rules to she slapped him harder than the first time. 

“I don’t remember giving you permission to touch me.” she hissed and her weight lowered even further down on him making him tense up harder and swallow a groan. She bent down to his ear again, her hand grabbing his throat and squeezing once more. 

“You are mine, yeah?” 

He didn’t know whether to respond or not and he wasn’t even sure if he was able to make a sound different than the ones he had already been making in lack of control under her power. 

“I asked you a question.” 

Her hand squeezed a little harder as if to highlight the seriousness of her words. 

“Yes.” he barely rasped out. She smiled and caressed his cheekbone and whispered back, releasing his from her hold on him.

“And I am yours.” 

Her lips met his in another fervent kiss as her hips twisted around him and slowly directed him inside her. 

She was so wet for him, he didn’t even need to touch her to figure it out. 

They both moaned in each other’s mouths as she slid down deeper and every bit of air left her rib cage as his full length filled her in. Apparently, the two times he had been in the lead and inside her he had been taking it easy since she could definitely feel him deeper and harder at that moment more than ever. Her hands leaned on his chest as he grabbed the sheets once again and when she dropped firmly down, he punched the mattress, unable to produce any other reaction at the touch of her core. They started working up a pace together, getting louder and more intense. 

It was definitely ideal that there was no one to hear them except maybe the neighbours that probably wanted their good night’s sleep but Artemis wasn’t bothered. She felt completely detached from reality, lost in the moment of hers and Noah’s souls merging. She felt so connected to him at that moment, especially after he had trusted her like that. They had both laid deep trust with each other, forgetting their past in the Villa that had left them as broken as they can be and that had turned out to be their way of healing together. 

Needless to say, Noah was loving every card she had put on the table so far and he was more than convinced that he wanted it all as soon as possible without a single second to wait. He loved the little game she had played with him and thought to give her something in return. 

He felt that they were both cutting closer and closer to the edge, her moans reaching frustrated lows and highs, unable to contain them within her body. But he wasn’t ready to end it there. It wasn’t time yet. Maybe there was a way to make it so it’s never time and they could just spend days having sex until they couldn’t do it anymore. It sounded fair to him. To cherish every little cell of her being until she had no doubts about how desired she was and couldn’t remember any other times when he had disappointed her but only the ones where he loved her. 

While Artemis was getting lost on top of him, he took the decision to disobey her. And not just lightly, that was going to earn him another slap on his chiseled cheekbone or get him pinned down by her hands. No, he wanted to do it big. He wanted her to be incapable of doing anything but spill everywhere around him. 

His hand shot up and grabbed her by the throat to pull her down and force her to kiss him. She almost lost balance but managed to fall on her palms which occupied her hands that could act on his choices. However he gave her no window for thought as his fingers moved to the back of her neck and laced with her hair, pulling it lightly. The kiss was messy. It had nothing sweet and cute about it but only lust and longing built up from not being able to touch her and have her under his control for the past couple of hours. Their tongues were crazily going around each other, lips bitten and swollen. His other hand went to her thigh and then to her ass. He slapped her hard and then squeezed her butt, forcing not only the sharp sound to fill the room but also the moan that she produced. His hand proceeded its journey back up until it secured around her waist so he could turn her over and switch their places. 

Before Artemis could blink or take a breath she flopped face down in the sheets, shocked at how swift Noah had just thrown her over. It was her turn to not move and enjoy and she didn’t even mind anymore. 

He took off the blindfold and threw it on the ground, unexpecting of the view that was in front of him. Artemis was laying still on her stomach just as he had put her. Her red hair was spilled messily on her back and to the sides of her face and her back arched beautifully in a soft porcelain valley.

He grabbed her sides and pulled her sharply back towards him with a grunt. Her arms outstretched as she had been squeezing the sheets in search for support and an outlet for her utter arousal, impatiently expecting his touch. 

One of his hands traced from the small of her back up her spine and ended its journey tightly lacing fingers in her hair, so he could pull her up. Her body twisted and arched under the force of his pull, whimpering and absolutely ready to be taken. 

His eyes traveled over her body and his free hand slapped her ass again, another quiet moan running away from her, then slowly slid between her legs. He almost gasped at her wetness but managed with a pleased murmu from deep in his chest. 

Noah remembered the first time he had been inside her at the terrace when they had coupled up before she was sent to Casa Amor, and he remembered the bliss he felt as he was going in and out of her, listening to her hungry sounds. Except this time his mind didn’t wander with guilt around Hope and he wasn’t full of anxiety but on the contrary, they were both relaxed into each other’s presence, fully devoted to nothing else but the existing moment and their bodies merging.

He twisted her hair around his hand, pulled her again and aided himself to slowly enter her while holding her thigh. 

Her breath quickly left her body and she felt dizzy for a moment as he teased her, fucking her so slowly until he hit hard in the very last second. She thought it was a good revenge strategy on his side but no matter how eager to get her back he was, he couldn’t do it forever and they both worked up to even motions, getting closer and closer to their mutual point of ecstasy. 

“I’m so close, fuck.” she husked, squeezing the edge of the bed so hard her arms were shaking, unable to support her own weight. 

In another moment she winced and fell on her elbows, moaning loudly, her legs beginning to give in as her orgasm overtook every inch of her being, making her toes curl and her muscles stiffen. Goosebumps spread all over her body as he squeezed her thighs tightly, experiencing his own moment of pleasure. The fact that they came together only enhanced everything. 

They both dropped flat on the bed next to each other. Artemis, still on her stomach and unable to move at the waves of pleasure still rushing through her again and again and Noah threw himself on his side next to her. 

Their eyes met and locked on each other in silence. He pushed a strand of hair away from her face and traced a finger down her jaw. 

There were no words to describe what had happened and at that point neither one of them was trying to find any. She managed to gather some strength to turn to her side and seek comfort in his arms tightly wrapping around her in a needed embrace. She listened to his heartbeat race in his firm chest and slowly decrease its pace as he relaxed. Her own body slowly stopped shaking but still felt weak and that feeling wasn’t going to go away any time soon, she anticipated. 

How does one even recover from a moment like that? What was a conversation starter for when you can’t stand up and walk to the shower? Nothing felt right in either of their heads, so they just remained quiet for what felt like years. 

“So…” he spoke first. “Would now be a good moment to ask you if you would like to go on a date with me?” 

She huffed a chuckle, her face still buried close to him. 

“Why don’t you try and find out?” 

He smiled and exhaled before he spoke again. “Artemis….would you like to go on a date with me some time soon?” 

Her heart jumped up again, more fireworks lighting up all over her body as she wanted to scream with joy at his offer. Took him long enough, she said to herself. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

Another quiet eternity dawdled between them as they were going over that evening and the upcoming date plans. 

“Do you want to take a shower together?” she suggested quietly, her voice sounding shy and insecure. Maybe he wasn’t into sharing the showers or maybe he needed a break from her? Maybe he didn’t even want to shower.

“Definitely.” he shifted carefully ready to stand up but she just remained frozen in his arms. “Like today or..?”

“Oh, you’re so funny sometimes, Noah. I love it.” she rolled her eyes at him and grinned widely his way. “I don’t think I can move. Maybe I can just stay. “

He managed to stand up somehow to her surprise and looked at her expectantly but once he realized that she actually couldn’t stand up, he shook his head jokingly and pulled her up. 

Not a part of her ever believed she would be taking a shower with Noah. Especially not after a wild sexscapade with him in his own house and not only that but sleeping over in his bed with a mutual feeling between them like they have always been that close and as if they had always slept in the same bed cuddled closely together the whole night, almost scared that one of them might vanish. 

The whole world watched her suffer in a reality show only so she could be with the love of her life only after the humiliation was over. They were finally about to open the main chapter of their book, marking its beginning with their unexpected reunion and the date he had asked her on. 

There was no hope now. 

  
  



	3. tell me you love me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is one of the weaker ones I'd say (yes,I always say that, I know). I've been struggling with writer's block for a few days but I think it still turned out okay. I'm very interested in exploring Noah's point of view more in preparation for the big date, so we can see more of his house (since i know some of you want to see more of that) and hopefully finally see his vinyl figure collection hahahah I might be making changes to the chapter if I hate it too much when I proof read it for the 432487274th time. 
> 
> I *hope* you like it. I'm honestly so into these two, I don't think I can ever stop writing about them.

The annoying sound of a phone alarm filled the room and broke the calm energy that had settled in during the night and it kept going for a while before Noah could properly wake up and remember how to turn it off. Wednesday was another work day for him and that particular day, he didn’t feel much like going to work at all, exhausted from last night. Especially not after the quiet grumpy murmur that came under the covers behind him that made him jump. 

Somehow he had completely forgotten that he wasn’t alone. 

Artemis moved next to him and he turned around to look at her. He had never had the chance to see her in her full angelic sleeping form as the one time they had shared a bed, she had to leave and go to Casa Amor, but somehow that made it all better. Her face was hidden under the blankets, the only visible part of her were some wild strands of her orange hair poking out. Back in the Villa, watching her go to bed and wake up next to the other boys hurt him even if he was the one initiating the damage. The image he had to see every morning when walking by her bed of Lucas’ arm wrapped around her and him kissing her cheeks and neck to wake her up stung him day after day. Although they never got serious and he knew she had no feelings for him or anyone else, for that matter, it always bothered him. She had even taken him to the Hideaway and slept with him and even if he had no right to be jealous or upset about it but he couldn’t help it. 

The realization of everything that had happened the previous day dawned upon him and he fell down a spiral of memories that only kept getting better and better and another good reminder were the long red lines on his chest from her nails dragging across his skin and the sight of them made him smile. Not a cell inside him had suspected that Artemis had it in her. He knew that she was definitely passionate but never to the extent of it being so wild and even spiritual in its own way. Their souls had danced and merged along with their bodies and he felt connected to her on a way deeper level than before. The contrast between the dominant goddess that she had proven herself she could be and the soft angel she had been in the showers for after, fascinated him too and there she was now, snuggled up in his bed next to him, growling grumpily. 

Her fingertips showed up from under the blanket to reveal her sleepy face, forcing another wide smile to stretch on his lips. Any previous jealousy or worry melted away at the sight of her and at that moment he realized that he wanted to wake up next to her and only her every single morning until the end of all mornings. He cupped her face with one hand and gently stroked her cheek with the smile that refused to come off his face.

“What?” she giggled shyly, noticing the sparkle in his eyes. 

“You’re just so beautiful.” his voice curled lovingly. The fact that she was there with him and now he was touching her ever so gently and giving her the heart eyes released the whole damn zoo in her stomach and she couldn’t help but chuckle. 

She reached out her hand out of the blanket and traced the outer side of her fingers across his chiseled cheek. “You’re very beautiful too.” 

A flash of red flushed his cheeks and he looked a little taken aback. Their eyes didn’t let go of each for a long moment until he lowered down to kiss her, still holding her face. 

He wished he could freeze time and have this piece of eternity with her forever. He wished he could just stay there for hours to kiss her, study every curve of her body, ask her a million questions to catch up on all those lost hours. He wanted to spend a whole eternity loving her. 

She wrapped one leg around his waist and pressed herself against his chest. Her body needed to be as close to him as possible as their kisses grew longer. How was she supposed to go back to London and go back to her own bed after finally waking up next to the man of her dreams? How was she supposed to be so far away from him? She didn’t even know when she was going to see him again.

“Do you really  _ have  _ to go to work?” she whispered between kisses, surprised at her courage as she still didn’t know where the line of their relationship was. 

“Do you really  _ have _ to go back to London?” he responded and kept building up the pace of their kisses. She dug her fingers into his hair and slid under him, her leg still tightly sitting on his lower back. She wanted to take as much of him as possible before she had to go back to her studies and her lonely apartment. The thought of going back to her quiet home didn’t sound so appealing anymore. It didn’t feel like truly “home” unless he was with her. Her old ideas of what home was were slowly dissolving into a bigger picture where her days started with her kissing his sleepy face to wake him up for work and then brushing their teeth together and they would text all day because they missed each other so much and ending with her coming home to his soft lips pressing against her forehead. She wanted him to be her home. 

He wanted her to be his. 

However, no one said anything about it. Again, both of them nervous that they might be crossing an invisible line and scaring the other one off. 

His hands slid under the white t-shirt he had given her while his lips settled on her neck, her whole body still burning from sleeping under the covers. Listening to her mellifluous moans seemed like the best way to start a Wednesday in his books. She paused him only so she could take her shirt off and pull him close again. Her skin, aroused by his, wanted to feel him and be devoured by him. 

He broke their contact to look at her. She looked like a dream with the warm morning light caressing her body, making her skin glow, her eyes, blazing, staring at him expectantly and struggling to decipher the expression written on his face. Was it desire or curiosity? Famish or addiction? Love or infatuation? 

Before any new questions could arise, he had given up on his attempts to resist her and had gone back to kissing her, this time his mouth traveling down her neck and to her breasts and down her ribs where he bit her lightly, causing her to jump and groan through her teeth, while his hands had taken off on a journey all over her body. 

Once he reached her panty line, she was unable to take another breath, impatient to feel his tongue explore her again. Impatient to be one with his body and soul again. 

Noah looked up, his lips lingering on the border between her skin and the lace of her panties. He wanted to see how much she craved him, how ready for him she was, he wanted her to beg to be touched. And her eyes were definitely begging. 

He lowered himself further down to hold her thigh and lift it gently. On her behalf, Artemis held her breath and closed her eyes, her skin tingling at every little spot that was in contact with his. Her hips jolted impatiently, encouraging him to take action. To finally end her misery and taste her. Her desire ran on memories from the Villa when they had made a big mess in the dressing room and he had made a huge mess of her especially. 

He kissed her inner thigh slowly, following her every move and change of expression, suddenly excited to torture her. She squirmed under every press of his lips and with each time that he wasn’t kissing her where she wanted the most, she got more and more annoyed with him. And he knew that. 

He finally reached the side brim of her undies, his mouth barely touching her, but still making her shake a little. An irritated whine left her chest and made him grin. He was achieving exactly what he wanted. Walking her on the edge but never letting her dive in the ocean of ecstasy that suddenly surrounded her. 

She wanted him so bad, it wasn’t fair. 

His index finger slid under the lace and her back arched in frustration, her lungs suddenly grasping for air. He ran his finger down once and pulled on the thin material and let it go, just like she had done to him the night before. He reckoned it was only fair he played with her too. 

Their eyes met one last time before he finally kissed her center, mouth a little open, his tongue slightly touching the lace, only so he could get that deep moan out of her. The way she moved and quietly struggled to wait turned him on more than he expected it to. And as much as he wanted to finish his job and put another good orgasm in their book, he knew that there wasn’t enough time, so he made the delicious choice to leave her beyond hot and bothered and wanting more until the next time they saw each other. 

He let go of her and got out of the bed. She raised her eyebrows trying to understand what he was doing and majorly failed at it. 

“I have to get ready for work and make us both breakfast.” he teased and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Come on.” 

She glared at him, her mouth gaping in shock. At first she thought he wasn’t serious but as soon as he sauntered out of the room with that proud grin, she knew he was playing with her and that was a game she knew very well how to play and he was definitely going to regret ever picking it up.

Artemis walked to the bathroom, angry pout on her face, visibly annoyed with Noah. She was going to get her revenge before she went back to London, she promised herself.

After a quick improvised freshen up, she joined him in the kitchen where he was making tea and toast. He didn’t see her at first, so she managed to see a glimpse of him humming some song with a cute grin of his face, while going through the cupboards, seemingly looking for something. He was so proud of himself. As if it was some personal victory that he had managed to tease her beyond belief and leave her hanging or maybe it was because he had gathered himself enough to resist her. But more than that, he looked happy and that made her insides tingle and her heart flutter. He was happy that she was there. That they were finally together after all the wondering they had both done. Wondering if it will ever  _ be _ between them and even if they already had the answer in their heads, it needed to be vocalized in order for their mutual anxiety to disappear and for them to stop walking on their toes when expressing their feelings.

She sneaked behind him and gently wrapped her arms around his waist. He tensed up at first at the surprise but then relaxed into her loving embrace. For a second he closed his eyes, attempting to capture the reality of the moment and how yearned it has been. Any time she showed affection towards him, which was most of the time, he felt like the doors of the heavens were opening and he could feel bright rays of light and happiness glistening inside his chest. It was kind of beautiful how in love with her he was and how she had no idea how severe it was. 

Her head rested on his back and she tried to memorize the sound of his heartbeat, while he clasped her hands protectively while pouring the hot water from the kettle in the two mugs in front of him. 

_ Bliss. Pure bliss. _

She let out a deep sigh and squeezed him tighter. 

“Everything alright?” he asked, his voice a worried symphony. 

“I just…” she stuttered, unsure if she was even able to open that whole topic. A part of her knew that they had to have some sort of agreement on where they stood before they parted again and the other part was terrified of the potential rejection. After Hope, he probably didn’t want to jump to any serious commitment and that was understandable but it was going to break her heart for the second time and that would have been unbearable. 

He turned around holding one mug towards her, so she could take it, his gorgeous face drawn with concern. “Yes?” 

Artemis bit her lip and looked away, the panic that she had felt the previous day in her car rushing back in and making her question everything she wanted to say to him. 

Meanwhile, he combusted into his own trail of trepidation, expecting her to pie him off and tell him that she had only been having fun regardless of her confession that she was in love with him. Or maybe she hadn’t even had that much fun. Maybe she just wanted to end everything on a good note. Maybe...

She took the mug and her hazel eyes finally fixed on his. She could tell he was nervous about what she was about to say. 

“Noah, I’m honestly petrified but I can’t go through that Villa horror again, not knowing where your head is at and where this would go, whether it will even go somewhere. I don’t even know how to talk about it. Last night was amazing, I’ve never felt anything like this before but if it’s only that...I can’t...Hell, I would understand if you don’t want anything to do with it, after Hope, I don’t blame you, but I just want to know.“ her hands started shaking as her emotions amplified, so she put the mug back on the counter to avoid burning herself miserably. Her heart was about to burst and leak out of her nose if he didn’t say anything soon. For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t say a god damn word and she would have to throw herself out of his kitchen window but he took her hands in his and pulled them closer to his lips to kiss each of them them, his eyes melting into a color of molten honey and gold as his own anxiety thinned out and turned into relief. 

“Did you really think I would ask you on a date if I didn’t want this to go somewhere?” he smiled sweetly and started caressing her knuckles with his thumbs to soothe her panic. “Truth be told, I was terrified that maybe you just wanted some final closure before completely leaving me behind. “

Artemis looked astounded, her eyes wide and her head shaking unbelievingly at how delusional he could be, considering she had literally told him she was in love with him, not even a day ago. 

“So...we’re going to...give us a chance and forget the damn show and everyone we dated there? “

“I would love that, yeah.” 

Her frown flew away through the same window she had been planning on jumping through and she smiled so widely, unable to hold back a giggle. Excitement replaced the previous fear and the sudden urge to laugh and jump in his arms. 

He barely caught her as she leaped towards him and wrapped her legs around his waist, tightly squeezing his body. After all, it turned out it wasn’t even a long conversation as they reached their agreement almost immediately. He felt like he had just won the Olympics of love or his own personal version of Love Island where the only competitors were him and Artemis and they had both just agreed to begin a relationship that had been knocking on their doors for way too long. 

He spun her around and gently sat her down on his counter, making sure the hot mugs were nowhere near her, and tucked a wild strand of hair behind her ear, returning the beam in her eyes. 

“Well, now that this is out of the way, we have just a little bit of time for a quick breakfast. “ he leaned forward and kissed her slowly. A kiss meant to seal the deal and open a new and big chapter in their book. They both smiled against each other, refusing to stop the kiss that was obviously far more desired than the stupid breakfast. 

At some point they had to force themselves to take a breath. Noah snuck a look at the time and realized that they had absolutely no time. Artemis read his expression immediately. 

“When does your shift start?” she asked with a serious tone. 

“At 10. We have 40 minutes to get ready and drive there. “ 

He looked at her apologetically. Having to rush out of his house was definitely not in his perfect morning plans and he hoped she wouldn’t be upset or think he’s being impolite. 

Instead, a wide grin stretched her lips and a dark glimmer spilled in her eyes. 

“First one to get ready wins a special wish from the loser. “ she spat out and raced him to the bedroom where her clothes had been drying up from the rain. She contagiously laughed the whole time while putting her clothes on, which made him burst out laughing, forgetting that there was a stressful situation to begin with. Back in the Villa her and Bobby had taken the parts to cheer everyone up and always be goofy in times of hardship and while some of the Islanders were annoyed and called it lack of maturity, Noah thought that it was exactly their maturity that let them take things easier and help the others that couldn’t handle the stress. That’s what she was doing at that moment too. Helping him not get anxious at the possibility of being late for work and making his day a whole lot happier. 

She even purposefully took longer tying her shoes and ran to grab her cold toast and tea, so he could win and be first at the door. There was deep curiosity in what kind of wish he was going to think of, plus, she really liked pleasing him and earning herself sweet long kisses. 

“The tea and the toast are so worth losing for, to be honest. Better make that wish a good one. You never know when you’re going to earn such an opportunity again.” she winked playfully at him while walking out the door of his apartment with her mug in hand and a bite of bread in her mouth. He ran in to grab his own mug and then swiftly locked the door. 

“I could think of a couple of things on the top of my head but I will give it a good thought if you say so. “ he kissed her hair while walking past her and lead her down the stairs, both of them skipping a stair or two on the way down but his eyes never letting her out of sight to make sure that she didn’t fall and pour her still scorching tea all over herself. It was known that Artemis was as clumsy as she could get, the biggest proof of that was the one long, hilarious bit in the show dedicated to her and Carl tripping, dropping, breaking and walking into things around the Villa and Casa Amor. 

The fresh morning air welcomed them outside, the smell of rain still lingering. Artemis inhaled deeply and took another rushed sip of her tea before trying to catch up with Noah who was already unlocking his car that was neatly parked in front of his house. It was a tight parallel park and she made a mental remark that it was impressive. 

First thought, she had after getting inside the vehicle was that it was spotless just like his apartment. It wasn’t expensive or anything special but it was obvious he took good care of it. There wasn’t a thing that was out of place and the scent of his cologne that he had just sprayed on himself filled the air which, considering he always smelled godly, was adding to the ambiance. 

Second thought, was that Noah looked ridiculously hot driving. There was something about the way he held the steering wheel and how his fingers lightly brushed her hair when his arm moved to lean on her seat as he was backing up. His focused face and the way he got out of his parking spot with no apparent challenge even though it was a tight fight, turned her on way too much. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to get back at him, so she quietly started planning her perfect revenge. 

Third thought, not only was he a sexy driver but he was also a good driver. None of that imbecile driving that boys did to impress girls by driving fast and reckless. He was smooth and cautious. She felt safe under his protection. His eyes remained mostly on the road with the few exceptions where he managed to steal a gaze at her at the traffic lights and see that she was intently staring right back at him with visible eagerness in her eyes. 

“You’re up to no good, are you?” he remarked with a cheeky grin creeping in the corners of his full lips. 

“Never. “ she snickered and chugged the last of her tea in time for the incoming morning traffic that she had been waiting for to perform her masterplan. “You think we will make it in time?” 

“Barely. It’s okay though. I’m not on opening duty today. “ his hand moved from the gear shift to her leg and reassuringly squeezed it.  _ Brave,  _ she thought and raised an eyebrow at him but he pretended to be casual about it by looking ahead at the lines of cars that were slowly squeezing past. 

Artemis left her cup in the cup holder between them and pulled the top part of her seatbelt off which immediately caught his attention but before he could say anything, her lips were kissing his cheek and steadily moved towards his ear to whisper sensually. 

“I don’t know why you thought you can outplay me this morning and not expect me to get back at you.” her hand glided over his leg starting at his knee, making its way up to his thighs. He managed to stay still until she nibbled on his ear lobe and lightly squeezed the inner side of his muscular thigh and his whole body shivered. 

Her mouth moved its attention to his neck while her hand sneakily unzipped his jeans. 

“Artemis, I swear, you will be in so much trouble for this.” he whispered with a shaky voice that was almost irritated but secretly enjoying whatever she was doing. He definitely wasn’t used to car adventures and had not anticipated that she would go for that but he had to give it to her that it was hell of an idea. Fair game. A part of him was a little anxious, suddenly aware of all the people that were sitting in their cars around them, wondering how many of them could see or had already noticed that they were getting it on in the middle of the obnoxious traffic jam but he was also madly excited about it. None of his past sexual experience had been very scandalous, so Artemis being so daring was very thrilling and he couldn’t get enough of it. Somehow she kept proving herself to be more and more interesting and every time he thought it was impossible to be more in love with her, she completely blew up his expectations and raised the bar more. He found himself wondering how the hell could he be so stupid to miss out on her in the Villa and make such fools out of both of them in front of the nation and the world. 

_ It didn’t matter anymore.  _

She was there now, fully devoted to him, and she was touching him shamelessly while kissing him, while her other hand ran through his hair and sent him to every other heavenly place but their current stuck location. Once she figured out her way inside his boxers, he gave up a groan but not without trying to trap it inside his chest, followed by another one and another, as her hand moved around him teasingly, picking up her pace and then slowing down when she thought he was getting a little too excited, keeping him on a very sharp edge. 

“You’re in so, so much trouble.” he breathed out and sharply faced her to kiss her hungrily before he had to move one spot forward. 

“Oh, I don’t think so. “ her hand teased him one more time to remind him of her power and he stiffened, trying once again to resist her. 

She very desperately dreaded having to drive back to London instead of staying in the library with him to tease him all day in all the ways that wouldn’t get him in  _ trouble  _ but would give him severe  _ trouble  _ to focus on his job. The thought of not knowing when they were going to see each other again didn’t appeal to her at all but only fed into her built up frustration that hadn’t poured out the previous night and definitely not in the morning. All she could do was to make him crazy enough, so he would want to see her as soon as possible and not be able to get her out of his head. She wanted him to struggle to fall asleep at night from the thoughts she had left in his head and how insanely much he wanted her. She wanted him to not be able to not see her another minute of another day. 

Frankly, it most definitely worked. 

As the traffic started pooling out and they got closer to the library, she stopped her torture, fixed his jeans to the best of her abilites and neatly settled in her seat, pretending that she was completely innocent. The only evidence of her actions was the flush on Noah’s cheeks and his baffled expression that almost looked grumpy. Oh, and his boner was a big teller as well. She felt particularly proud with herself. 

He pulled up in the parking lot and parked at one of the further spots under the shade and sighed deeply as the car calmed and turned off. Artemis looked as smug as ever, watching him struggle to get his mind ready for work and escape the void of sexual fantasies and things he wanted to do to her. 

He finally looked at her and shook his head at her, unbelievingly but in the end his expression broke into a smile. 

“Not fair at all, babe.” he finally said. 

“Says who?” she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned across one last time to place a cute peck on his lips before swinging the door open to go out. He almost pulled her back in, dying to get another piece of her and her flawless body. 

He imagined fucking her in his car right there and then and finishing the little game they had been playing back and forth. The only thing stopping him was the chance of one of the kids seeing them and getting traumatized forever. He was sure that his coworkers wouldn’t have minded if he was late by twenty or so minutes. He had never been late before and he was undoubtedly the best employee they had and their current bringer of inflow as it wasn’t only the teenage girls that were dying to see how hot he was in person but the moms too and as much as he hated it, it was good for their monthly numbers. 

He exhaled one last time, got out of the car and adjusted his jeans awkwardly. Artemis stood in front of him, smile ear to ear, very pleased with her accomplishment. 

“Walk me to my car?” she batted her long eyelashes at him, trying to look as cute as possible and the fact that she had become his biggest weakness gave her a 100% success rate. They walked together, hand in hand, both smiling uncontrollably, eagles and butterflies tingling their stomachs with happiness and relief. 

_ Finally.  _

Shortly, they walked up to Artemis’ car, suddenly realizing that their wonderful careless moment was about to end. She spun around gracefully and leaned on her white car. 

“Well, that was nice.” she muttered and tightened her grip on his hand in a gesture that she didn’t want to let him go. 

He pulled her in his arms. She felt so small and fragile in his embrace. He leaned lightly on her head and kissed her hair before whispering. 

“I can’t wait for our date. There’s a lot of catching up we have to do. How about Friday? I don’t think I would be able to last any longer without seeing you.”

“Friday it is. Text me the details or call me.” she almost glowed with contentment and when they pushed even closer to kiss, her heart officially burst in millions of sparkles and fireworks as their tongues swirled around each other beautifully.

Chelsea and Priya were going to freak out when they find out about their little reunion that had opened something so much bigger. They had listened to her crying and whining since she had gotten dumped from the Villa and now that whole era of Love Island grief and misery was about to be locked and thrown away and replaced with the news of her and Noah’s blooming relationship. 

“Drive safely, okay? Text me when you make it.” he requested as their foreheads leaned on each other. 

“I promise, I will.” she responded and after another quick kiss, she unlocked her car and opened the door. “Bye, babe. “ 

He graced her with a gorgeous smouldering smile and a wink as he walked away. 

She sat in her car and stared out the windshield for a long moment suddenly remembering the terror of the previous day when she was so scared that he might not even want to see her and somehow in the span of a night, things had turned around 180 degrees and she was looking at a romantic date with him, after both of them agreed to move on from Love Island and jump to their own island. Their hookup wasn’t to ever be forgotten either. 

It had been no more than five minutes after he had left her before she started missing him already. She tried to convince herself to not go inside but before she could say no to herself, her legs were already skipping to the big building and her hands opened the same door that revealed the endless stacks of books, reliving the same shots of yesterday. Her mind was leaping thousands of thoughts a second, completely detached from her body. For a moment she regretted her decision to compulsively run after her undying desire for him. 

She walked quickly between the isles, her eyes searching for his tall, slender figure, heart beating aggressively in her chest. Where could he have gone for five minutes? It’s not like the library had secret corridors and magic portals that led to some other dimension. At least she hoped it didn’t. 

Noah was looking through a stack of books in the reading area, probably mapping their designated spots around the shelves. He looked up just in time to see her frantically almost running towards him.

“Artemis? Are you okay?” he asked quietly, trying to not disturb the few students and readers that were reading studying and minding their own business but also he couldn’t help but worry about why she was looking so intense. 

Artemis didn’t even respond to him but instead just grabbed his face and kissed him with passion burning right through her skin and bones. He responded accordingly, falling into her kiss before pulling back to check on her but before he could speak again her soft hand slid on top of his mouth to shut him up. 

“I am so fucking in love with you. I just really want you to know that.” she whispered intensely and noticed he was wearing his glasses as she looked at him in the eyes. God, the glasses. She was never going to be actually able to leave him. He looked a little confused but then switched to exhilarated and grabbed her hand to move it away from his mouth, so he could speak again. They both felt the several pairs of eyes that were suddenly looking at them but neither one of them cared at that moment. 

“I am so in love with you too.” 

And there it was.  _ Rapture.  _


	4. hold me close and love me forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, the IKEA date seems to have been accepted better than I imagined. Thank you all. I think my brain took the pace of the game and I can only write a chapter every time an episode comes lol. Shoutout to my fam from discord with a hidden special in today's adventure. 
> 
> I hope you guys like it!!!!  
Stay cute!
> 
> I keep forgetting to add some credit for the wonderful Kitty that helps me with my writer's block so often and always has some killer ideas. Thanks, babe <3

Driving away from Noah had felt wrong on so many levels. It felt like going to a theme park an hour before closing time and having to leave before you really got to the best parts of it but then realizing that it was never a good time to leave a theme park. It was never going to be a good time to just leave Noah and carry on with the dullness of regular life. Particularly not after hearing those special words leave those luscious lips of his. 

_ “I’m so in love with you too.” _

Artemis kept replaying the memory in her head and the more she thought about it, the bigger the urge to scream got. Her body couldn’t physically take everything that had happened. It was too many exciting things in the timeframe of less than 24 hours. 

The worst part was that her Wednesday wasn’t as busy as she needed it to be, so she had way too much time on her hands to think about him and any attempt to do anything productive just simply set on fire before it even had a chance to work. Suddenly, she couldn’t understand a god damn thing from her science books and assignments and English wasn’t a language she spoke anymore, social media was boring, she wasn’t hungry or thirsty, she wasn’t tired, she wasn’t feeling creative. Her attention span was in the negatives unless her she had another thought or memory that somehow revolved around him. It was like puberty all over again but this time was a lot more ardent and she couldn’t shake that feeling of retrouvailles and impatience for the upcoming Friday. It was quite annoying. 

Her own apartment suddenly seemed forlorn and emptier than ever. It even gave her a feeling of discomfort and estrangement as if she hadn’t picked out every single detail and painted half of the things that were on her walls. It felt somehow gray and  _ dead  _ like she had moved out of there a long time ago and came back to see if the walls were still holding. She didn’t want to be there in the slightest. Truth be told, she hadn’t felt quite like home since she had come back from the show and that thought scared her. Something just felt off. She had changed there. Evolved. Maybe it was the fact that she finally had found someone that she felt strongly enough to see a future with. Maybe she was being too dramatic and jumping way too deep into it but at the same time, she knew that what she was feeling in her chest was as real as it could get. There was something way beyond physical attraction that she was feeling for that man. The way her gut clenched in excitement when she thought of him and the endless flock of pterodactyls that flopped inside her ribs and the way her lips wanted to smile wider and wider at the thought of his being. It was all new, unexplored territory. Nothing she had ever tasted before.

The scariest part of it was that they had become celebrities of a sort and the public was going to find out very soon about whatever was going on between them and that meant a giant flood of articles and public opinions that she didn’t care about. People were obsessed with Love Island and she had managed to get a top spot in the charts after all the shenanigans she had gotten into while searching for her one true love. Additionally, she had already dealt with recognition on the streets several times and not that it was bad but her relationship being public for the common eye to analyze and try to figure out before she understood it herself wasn’t exactly.... her take on relationship goals. It was already hard enough to figure out a relationship as a stranger to the world. Hope was also going to find out and that was a whole new thunderstorm that was approaching the horizon. In fact, that was the only thunderstorm Artemis sincerely wasn’t looking forward to. She had developed some kind of an allergy towards Hope’s pissy attitude and that fuming face of hers and how her gaze felt like millions of tiny and ridiculously sharp daggers piercing her skin and how she always mumbled quiet slurs under her nose whenever things didn’t go her way. If it hadn’t been for Noah, the two of them would have had fights much bigger than the one they indirectly had but Artemis didn’t dare to open her mouth in respect for him. She didn’t want to humiliate the man she loved more than he already had humiliated himself with his own decisions and mistakes and the way his chosen partner during the show was handling the tension between them. It was enough that everyone had auto-assigned her and Bobby the roles of therapists on site and emotional trash cans but somehow the two of them were always in the middle of all kinds of drama. The only good outcome had been that the two of them bonded over being mediators and despite the fact that things between them hadn’t worked out early on, they still had managed to remain good friends. Frankly, she was on most of the Islanders’ good side even if her reputation was still healing. As far as she was made aware of, Lucas was still not over her downfall for Noah and her date with Jakub but at the same time, she wasted no time trying to please the bitter eyes. 

But what was she supposed to do now? She was waiting for  _ him _ to reach out to her about the date but by the evening of the same day he hadn’t said anything anywhere and the cursed voice in her head had tried to tell her that maybe he had a change of mind. 

_ But no, it was impossible.  _

Noah had spent his whole day pacing around the library doing the exact same thing she had been. Overthinking. Millions of questions and issues birthed in his beautiful head. Millions of impossible scenarios like the possibility of her not being into it as much as he was. Just like Casa Amor when he had seen that video of her running her fingers down Carl’s back while nibbling on his ear and the smile on his face under her electric touch and how he had been so sure she would couple up with one of the boys there, so he had drawn a wild card and had coupled up with Blake. 

The voice of reason and reality slap had been the image of her sitting on the bench waiting for him.  _ Alone.  _ She hadn’t brought anyone back and he had. The pain in her eyes had stung him badly and his lungs had flushed out any leftover oxygen. The revelation that he was a complete fool for not realizing that she had been doing what she was told to in the challenge had hit him hard. It was never meant to be personal, just like he had made out with Blake and Artemis had probably received the footage of that while in the Casa. He had been blinded by his emotions. His jealousy and the break up with Hope. And she still had chosen to remain loyal. 

Not only that but she had made sure she looked more stunning as ever that night, ready to finally have her chance to be with him and he had completely blown it. 

_ It was different now.  _

The Villa and Casa Amor were light years away and they weren’t coming back. He tried so hard to banish all the images far away from his brain and replace them with the new memories he had with her. Like Artemis turning in bed during the night in search for him and only finding peace when he was holding her or her sleepy smile in the morning and how her swollen from the night lips were begging him to kiss her and her sitting on his counter, wearing his t-shirt, swinging her legs up and down and the scent of her perfume being deeply embedded in his bed sheets to remind him that she wasn’t there with him but also how critically much he wished she was. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the way her hazel eyes were keenly looking at him with a cheeky smile hiding in the corners of her blush lips that moved to say “ _ I am so fucking in love with you.” _

He found himself staring at his phone screen, open on her contact info and wondered if she would pick up if he called. Why wouldn’t she? It was stupid to assume she was just going to ignore him considering she had asked him to call her. 

Instinctively, his finger tapped on her name and the familiar sound of a dial filled the quiet bubble around him as he turned on the speaker and left his phone on his bare chest while laying in his bed. His heart clenched, expecting for the signal to never stop until the phone hung up automatically or sent him to voicemail. 

“ _ I almost thought you’d given up on this.”  _ her soft low voice said. He rubbed his eyes and couldn’t help but smile. 

“Am I too late? Have you found a new date for tomorrow?” he joked. God, he felt so giddy, he almost hated it. 

“ _ I think Bobby wants me to go over his. Said he has a new cake recipe he wants me to try out. “  _ she tried to choke up a giggle but a little spring of a laughter slipped out. 

“Oh yeah? I had no idea he was the competition. Thought it might be one of the other guys. ” 

“ _ Like who? Jakub?”  _ they shared a laugh. Poor Jakub had somehow become a joke and as guilty as they felt about cackling about it, it was inevitable. “ _ Well, “ _ she continued, “ _ I told him I have a date planned with you and he said you can come with. Something about you being very cute? Sound familiar?“ _

The bare truth was that he had no idea what to do for their date. Not that he hadn’t thought about it, he had. But nothing sounded special enough. He wanted to steal stars from the sky for her and discover flowers she had never seen before, so he can make her huge bouquets or braid them in her soft hair. Every idea he had gone through sounded bland and simple and she deserved everything. He wanted to give her everything but what “everything” consisted of wasn’t a concept he was quite aware of yet. And that made him panic. He didn’t want to disappoint her. Not again. 

“I’ve always wanted to take you over Bobby’s as our first date. I’m so glad the timing is so perfect.” he grinned widely. 

“ _ I imagined us going to IKEA or something fun like that but hey, who doesn’t like Bobby’s cupcakes?”  _ she sounded suggestive. Could she have known that he had no idea where to take her? Had she caught his lack of direction from his voice or what is a pure lucky coincidence?

“You...want to go look at furniture?” 

“ _ Yeah, why not? You know how you go to IKEA and walk around, building your dream house in your head, pretend that the show rooms are real and you walk out of the store with a whole bunch of crap you don’t really need but also vanilla ice cream scented candles are absolutely necessary?”  _ her voice got shaky and sounded nervous but there was still that playful tone that always lingered in the back whenever she spoke, always trying to not take things seriously and enjoy whatever came her way. 

“I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure, honestly.” 

_ “What! We should totally do it! You told me you like furniture that one time. “ _

He had only mentioned it once it somehow it had stuck inside her head. There was no apparent reason, in his opinion, why she would remember such a tiny detail from some stupid conversation they had had back in the Villa but he felt enthralled by it. 

“So you really want to go there tomorrow?” 

Maybe she was joking and just wanted to see if he had any better ideas or maybe she was serious. There was seriousness in her voice that partially confirmed that she really meant it. Going to IKEA as a first date. Only Artemis could come up with something like that, he thought and chuckled at himself. 

_ “Yeeees! It would be so cute. “  _ she chimed. 

“It’s a date then. I’ll pick you up at five o’clock from your house. “

“ _ Oooh, a gentleman. That means you will have to bring me back home too...and hopefully you’ll stay.”  _

His mind traced off imagining what her house looked like. He knew she wasn’t loaded but he also had found out that there was a certain level of class to her and she liked a well furnished house based on all the conversations with Chelsea about interior design. Artemis had been the only one that seemed truly interested in Chelsea’s endless stories about decoration, cushions and other adorable things like cat cafes and coffee art and also seemed like the only one that could keep up with Chelsea’s buzzing pace. The end of her sentence had slam dunked him back to reality and he tried to scramble but a response. 

“Maybe...You’re still in a lot of trouble though.” he murmured seductively, his voice pouring sweetly out of his mouth and straight into her heart and her libido. 

_ “I’ll do my worst tomorrow then. I’m curious to see what you’ll do.” _ she huffed on the other side of the line.He looked at the pillow next to him, imagining she was there. 

“So you just plan on becoming the death of me, huh?” 

“ _ Maybe.”  _

He groaned quietly and for a second almost convinced himself to drive over to her house and shorten their waiting time significantly.

She had found the right way to get under his skin and he knew she was never going to stop doing it. And he loved that. 

They had ended the call shortly after. Artemis had given him her address and they had gone to bed, excited about the upcoming day, hearts beating fast, eyes closed, dreaming of the other one laying next to them. 

After a long night of twisting and turning in bed, the first morning sun rays had announced the arrival of  _ the day. _ Artemis’ alarm screeched loudly and she definitely wasn’t ready to wake up after struggling to make her hormones calm down and let her brain get a break from the tsunami waves it had been surfing on. She slept in for another hour before she forced herself to roll out of bed and take a long shower in an attempt to waste as much time on her one free Friday, which also meant she could thoroughly clean her apartment too in case Noah did end up coming over. 

_ Damn. _ The thought of him walking around her flat made her a little nervous but the familiar tingles replaced any anxiety and she couldn’t wait to throw herself back in his warm embrace,feel his arms squeeze her as close as possible to him while he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.  _ Just a few more hours. _

A few more hours that proved to her that time was not a constant but a variable since those must have been the longest hours of her life and with each time she looked at the clock, her heart tightened up in a tinier and tinier ball until it almost felt like it was going to implode and her stomach did that weird thing where it felt like it was doing back flips inside her body. The hitting point was her phone going off when she received a message. 

_ “I’m on my way.” _ it was Noah. She gulped loudly and almost scolded herself for being so unstable yet again but at the same time, it felt thrilling. Maybe true love did exist, she thought as she looked at her hands nervously shaking. She wasn’t sure if it was the coffee that made her shake or him but she placed a bet on a mixture of both. She scrambled some response without even thinking much about it and threw her phone on her couch. It’s not like they were going to a formal dance with the Queen. They were going to look at furniture and mess around. On a second thought why had she even suggested that? What if he thought it was a super lame idea? But he had said yes, so that had to mean that he approved of it at least a little bit.

They had already gone on a date once in the Villa and he had spilled half a bottle of wine all over the table while trying to nervously pour some for her, which she found cute and then they had clicked so well and the date had gone perfectly only for him to get cold feet in the end and freak out about his feelings for her and go back to the safety Island that Hope had become regardless of her despicable behavior towards him and the rest of the Islanders. She furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose at the thought of it and was unable to believe that Noah had been with Hope not even that long ago. Somehow the two couldn’t connect in her brain. The whole thing felt like a fever dream or a lucid nightmare, so she flushed it out of her head and focused on the thought that the same Noah was driving towards her. 

Meanwhile Noah had been trying to encourage himself as well, blasting his favorite old songs to put himself in a mood that wasn’t disastrously tense. He exhaled hard as he entered the outskirts of London and carefully started looking at the map on his phone to make sure that he didn’t miss an exit or a turn. Fortunately, by some lucky grace of the universe, there was no traffic on the way to her house and as the distance was becoming shorter and shorter, his heart was picking up beating faster and faster. In just a few more minutes, she was going to be next to him, undoubtedly looking as dashing as ever. Artemis was mostly casual in her every day looks but she completely knew how to dress whenever the occasion required it and something told him that even if it wasn’t a formal date, it did as he had tried to dress accordingly and try to impress her but without looking like he was trying too hard. 

He parked his car in front of her house that seemingly looked very normal and even modest. The sight of her white car confirmed that he had indeed made it, so he looked at the windows before texting her that he had arrived. He straightened up in the mirror and sent the text, at that point his heart had climbed up in his skull, cheeks flushed with red _ .  _ He stepped out of his vehicle and leaned his body on it, one leg nervously tapping with anticipation and teeth anxiously biting his bottom lip.  _ Any minute now. _

The front door of the building swung open and Artemis walked out in all of her glory then she stopped sharply to look at him. Her lips stretched in a smile that revealed her pearly whites and only after he returned it, she skipped towards him and threw her arms around his neck then pulled her head back to look at him and cautiously wait for him to kiss her. 

He didn’t hesitate.

He placed a hand on the small of her back and slightly tipped her backwards, their lips meeting ever so softly. It felt like they hadn’t seen each other for ages and not two days and somehow there was a change in the air. Not as unsure and anxious anymore but just nervous and excited. Their tongues brushed and the kiss fell deeper and more emotional. They were finally in the arms of the one they loved and that’s all that mattered. Once their bodies parted he took a second to look at her all over. She looked stunning. Her long ginger hair fell carelessly in soft waves on her white button up shirt that was neatly tucked in a pair of pleather-y black pants, framing her gorgeous face that glowed brighter than usual. She looked elated, that beguiling glimmer in her eyes trying to enchant him and for all he knew, it absolutely worked since he felt absolutely speechless at that short moment while he tried to take all of her beauty in. 

“You look gorgeous.” he finally spoke and gently pulled her face for another kiss. 

“You look quite handsome yourself. “ she winked at him with a charming smile and cupped his cheek with one hand to caress it with her thumb. He felt so weak and addicted to her while she couldn’t keep her hands off him. 

“Shall we go build the house of our dreams?” he whispered, a part of him dreading that he had to let her out of his hold to drive but excited to roam around the endless labyrinth of furniture that could one day belong to them in their future home. He gave that concept a moment and realized that he would love to eventually take that step with her. It was already hard enough that she wasn’t around him as much as he wanted to, so he secretly hoped they could merge their lives sooner rather than later. 

_ Melt,  _ he thought to himself and kissed her one last time before they walked to the passenger door and he politely opened it for her. She raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised, and sat inside the car. 

“I’m excited to try the beds. “ Artemis giggled once they were both inside with their seatbelts tightly strapped. 

“Yeah? I wonder why that would be. “ he grinned as he got the car out on the street but before they carried on, he turned to look at her only to find her already staring at him with a smile on her face.  _ God, how much he loved that woman.  _ “I missed you. “ his hand caressed her cheekbone and slid down behind her ear and then around a lone strand of hair. 

“I missed you too. “ she bit her lip as if she was trying to not say something but her expression remained excited and held his gaze for as long as possible before failing to hold herself back and sharply leaning towards him to kiss him again. Fire and passion poured out of her and reminded him of those raw kisses they had shared before in times when their emotions had overpowered their will. His hand returned to her face and moved behind her neck to pull her closer and try to take in as much of her as possible as her soft moans left her mouth and tickled those deep parts inside him that desired her as if his life depended on it. 

“Wow. “ he mumbled once their lips allowed them to part. That was something else. Was there even a point of them going on that date and not just running up to her apartment and ripping each other’s clothes off their bodies? Probably. Besides there was time for that later, he stated in his head. Seeing her skip around and be happy was the priority before worshipping her naked soul and body until they couldn’t stay awake anymore. 

On the way there, they had some small talk about their mutual friends from the Island and the rumors for a potential reunion that Chelsea had been spreading in the group chats. It sounded like a double-edged sword but they tossed any further anxious thoughts about it behind them and focused on the present. 

“Can I ask you something silly?” he asked nervously, unsure if his words were going to offend her. 

“Of course.” 

He wasn’t sure how to formulate his question so he took a second before he spoke again. “I guess I’m just surprised that that’s your date of choice. “ 

“That’s not even a question, love. As opposed to what? A dinner in a restaurant? A walk in the park? A movie?” she definitely didn’t sound offended but almost goofy. 

“I guess? It’s just...new. ” 

“We’ve already gone on a date like that and besides, romance isn’t just cheesy dinner options and flower bouquets. Sure, they’re nice but I felt like we can do something strange, something new...and maybe cheeky. What, you don’t like my idea? “ she grinned at the end and he responded by raising an eyebrow jokingly. 

“Oh, I love it. I was just pleasantly surprised. Any time that I get to spend with you is time well spent, babe.“

He parked the car and they exchanged a meaningful look again. Something inside him clicked and he felt like they weren’t just going on a first date but like they were already a family. They had spent hundreds of hours together in the Villa and it already felt like they belonged in the same family along with the other Islanders but at that moment it felt like they had been together for ages and they were going to pick out a new chair for their living room or a new table for the kitchen. It felt natural but it also made him nervous. After all, there was still a hint of guilt that whispered that he didn’t deserve her after the damage he had done to her heart. 

“What’s the matter? Are you okay?” she questioned his change of expression with a puzzled face. 

“Of course. Shall we?” 

Artemis nodded and got out of the car. She had been low key freaking out in the beginning but then she eased into his presence and the two of them walked inside the building hand in hand. She felt a rush of adrenaline as they walked in. 

First of all, she loved furniture stores and all the dreams and ideas that her brain birthed for house projects. Second, there was a huge chance that they got recognized. No. They were for sure going to be recognized. People knew who they are and seeing them together was going to start a whole new wave of Love Island gossip that the public was so famished for. Word travelled fast, however tweets and snaps travelled faster. Third, she felt like they were a married couple and her heart beat faster every time she thought about that concept. No matter how many times she told herself that it’s too early to even mention a wedding in her mind, a small part of her loved the idea of tying the knot with Noah. She already knew how much he longed to have a family and a beautiful wedding and she found that it had become a dreams of hers too, for as long as it was with him. To be frank, she just hoped that they never went past that honeymoon stage of butterflies and sweet kisses and also, she hoped to keep him forever. 

Any worry evaporated the moment they walked inside the showrooms. Suddenly they needed to sit on every couch in the living room area, open whatever cupboards looked interesting and hide random decoration objects in there for the next person to find. As dumb as it all was, neither one of them could wipe the smile off their face. 

Artemis scoped the room to make sure that there was no one around in one of the rooms that was tucked away between two other example rooms and pushed Noah down on the couch to sit on his lap. The store was relatively empty as most people went out or out of town on their Friday nights, so they had plenty of chances to be alone. 

Her eyes explored his face and set on his, a shade of molten gold that eagerly shimmered, inviting her to kiss him. But she resisted the strong pull and ran her finger on the side of his head, gently brushing the shorter parts of his brown hair. 

“You make me so nervous, you know.” she stated with a soft voice. His eyes widened, slightly nonplussed. “No,no. Not in a bad way,” she continued “You just make me feel like a teenager again. It’s lovely. I didn’t think I can feel so...enamored and giddy. Not after everything that has happened. And I definitely think about you more than I’d like to admit.“ 

“You’re absolutely spectacular. You make me feel the same way. “ he responded and his gaze moved down to her lips in another hint that he wanted to taste her. She smiled and finally gave in to his lure, lowering her face so their lips could meet while his hands held her steadily on top of him and playfully touched her hair. It started out softly like an innocent confession of their feelings and built up to an expression of their lust. Noah groaned delightfully and pulled away in an attempt to gain control of his body over his mind. Seemed like it always came down to their built up thirst for the other person or maybe it was just the intensity of their feelings finding a way to manifest themselves. 

Artemis forced herself to stand up to prevent herself from going further and reached out her hand for him to take. 

“Do you think we should have an island in our kitchen?” she asked as they walked through the tight, secret corridors that led to the kitchens and bedrooms. 

He smirked before responding. “Only if we make it a Love Island. “ 

Her mouth swung open and she nudged him in the ribs as she laughed at his joke.“Are you saying you want to do bits in the kitchen?” 

“Depends. You did blow off Henrik back in the Villa when you two had to prepare dinner. “ 

“Well, I wasn’t going to do bits with him! I only told him I don’t like kitchen bits because I didn’t want him to try it on. “ 

“So...you’re saying that you are into kitchen bits?” 

“Maybe I am.” 

He ceased and turned to face her directly, a certain cheeky expression drawn on his face. She recognized it immediately. Brows slightly furrowed, mouth cracked open just enough for his warm breath to brush her face and his eyes drinking her very being as if she was the essence of the fountain of life. 

“Are you sure?” he made a step forward and then another one, constraining her to step back until her back hit a surface. Her hands identified it as a kitchen counter. He stepped closer until their legs were touching, the oxygen in her lungs suddenly decided that it didn’t belong inside her body. His eyes didn’t move an inch from hers while his hands slid in the space between her arms leaning on the fake marble and her waist. His face closed most of the distance with hers until their noses were almost touching. “I wouldn’t want to be overstepping any boundaries after all. “ 

She gave up the fight between her need to breathe and the gigantic elephants that were suddenly sprinting around her stomach as if it was a rave and slowly grasped for air carefully so he wouldn’t notice the effect he had on her. Not only was she into the kitchen bits but she was also ready to do them right there in front of the random shoppers, none of which had planned to witness her and Noah having an intensely sexual moment in a fake kitchen. A whole vision of them fucking on that same island they were both leaning on played in her head making her suddenly tingle down in her softest spot and based on the tiny smirk that creeped in the corners of his lips, he knew that she was getting wet. 

“Come on, we haven’t even seen the beds yet. “ he said nonchalantly and kissed her nose. There was no trace of the previous scene in his tone. By the time she was back to her senses, he was already several feet away, so she skipped towards him and grabbed him hand to catch up with him. “That was a really fun idea, babe. Good call.” he sent her a cheeky grin and she tapped his arm with her fist.  _ The game was on _ and the bedroom section definitely wasn’t going to make it any easier but luckily it was her turn to play and she needed to make a good move. The tricky part were the people around them, some of which were definitely eyeing them and whispering, so whatever they were about to do had to be unnoticed. Fortunately, no one approached them or took them out of their little fantasy world. 

“Come try this one. “ she pulled him towards a tall white bed with white tulle veil surround it and threw herself on her back on top of it. He fell next to her, hands still holding, they looked at each other. She thought about making a bad joke or saying something stupid but her mouth could only smile. It wasn’t a moment that required a conversation to be had. It was one of those moments he had mentioned once where silence meant so much more than words. She felt close enough to him to be quiet and let her eyes speak louder than her mouth could ever manage. The luminescent lights, as annoying as they usually were, were casting the perfect light on his chiseled face through the thin veil that served as a wall that separated them from the rest of the world.  _ What a masterpiece,  _ she thought and ran her finger down his features, her finger tips worshipping and connecting with every cell of his soft skin. His grip on her hand tightened in response to her gesture and only let it go when her fingers moved to his lips and he reached for them to pull them away only so he can put them back to kiss them. 

_ Delirium.  _

That remained as one of her happiest memories with him. Not a single bit of her had ever imagined she would find herself in a state of such happiness and completeness. She had always dreamt of that wild, fervent love that burnt through the marrow in your bones and shook your whole existence and by the time she had met Noah, she had almost given up on the idea of finding it. The whole reason why she had decided to audition for Love Island was to find  _ the one _ and she hadn’t even found him there. She found him outside, after and she was more sure than ever that he was that wild, fervent love she had spent years looking for. He was right there, kissing her hand, his eyes declaring his eternal love for her. Neither one of them wanted to move. For all they knew, they could spend their whole lives staring into each other’s eyes. 

But unfortunately for them, someone had actual plans of buying a bedroom. The foreign voices snapped them out of them day dream and they both jumped out of the bed, cheeks blushing from their interrupted closure. Noah wrapped an arm around Artemis’ shoulder and they walked away before the strangers could have time to form any thought about them. Shortly after, he slowed down the pace of their walk to bring up her face to look at him with a finger under her chin and place a kiss on her pink lips. It was only a peck, but one that lingered for a couple of seconds before they pulled apart. 

“You’re a dream, you know that?” he softly whispered once their lips were only slightly brushing. 

“No. Maybe you should remind me every once in a while. “ her eyes remained close for a moment so she could remember the taste of his lips for as long as possible before she had to walk more. 

“Then I shall remind you forever. “ 

She felt weak at the sound of his low honey-dripping voice. Her legs wanted to give out so badly and make her fall in his arms but somehow she managed to gather the strength to keep her stable. All she wanted was a  _ forever _ with him and that’s what he was willing to give her.  _ Everything and more.  _

Artemis took a short moment to look at her surroundings and what pieces of furniture they had around them and how many people were around. Beds, wardrobes, dressers, mirrors and one other family discussing the neighboring room and the color scheme of the setting. Her gaze fell on the perfect piece and she hoped its inside was exactly what she needed. 

She then broke out of his hold and quickly walked to the tallest wardrobe and slid the door open.  _ Perfect.  _ She could easily fit in there as it was just an empty space with a detachable hanger rod going across it. Noah, on the other hand, the giant that he was, maybe could have had to scrunch up a little but he could do it. She took the rod off and leaned it on the inside wall of the structure. 

“What are you doing?” he asked as he caught up with her. She didn’t respond but walked inside the wardrobe and yanked him in and slid the door closed after him. There was only darkness and a thin slip of light wherever the doors couldn’t cover, providing enough light to see each other’s faces but definitely not enough for anyone outside to see them. “We will get in trouble. “ 

“Not unless you shut up.” 

She lunged towards him, her mouth easily finding his. They had to remain within the norms of PDA outside where people could see them but not in the dark. Especially not after that bed moment they had shared. Especially not after he had teased her like that on that counter. She wanted him right at that second and there was not a thing that could stop her from having whatever she wanted. 

She slid her hand under his shirt, hungry for his skin, her nails tickling his bare back while their kisses only peaked higher and higher. A quiet groan from him filled her mouth when she scratched him lightly and it was definitely one of the hottest things he did that turned her on beyond her conscious mind. 

He couldn’t keep his hands off her either so he slowly explored the hems of her shirt under the black blazer she was wearing, in search of a way in. There was one obvious way in but before he went there, he grabbed her butt only so he could hear her growl and beg him for more. This time he didn’t want to tease her. This time he wanted to deliver. Not in a million years, was he going to guess that he would one day do big bits in wardrobe in IKEA with the woman of his dreams who he met on a reality show but there he was, unzipping her pants and sliding his fingers over her lacy lingerie. 

She gasped and quickly put a hand over her mouth to prevent catching anyone’s attention. He moved slowly, inspecting what he was working with and it was a lot. The soft lace was already wet with her excitement and as soon as he touched it, his expression changed from surprised to extremely aroused. He pulled away and moved back in, this time inside her panties, taken aback at how soft she was, his fingers slowly gliding over her center, making her choke up desperate moans. It felt good to see her struggle to contain herself, her chest moving fast and it felt especially great to feel how wet she had gotten before he could even get to touch her. He wished they could be fully naked and on one of the beds so he could fully devote his whole body and attention to hers. 

The thrill of someone potentially walking by and opening the door added more to the experience and once his fingers slid inside her she failed to keep quiet and a little moan escaped her mouth. He quickly put a hand over her mouth and shook his head warningly. 

“You have to be quiet or we  _ will _ get caught.” 

She nodded, still fighting against her urge to moan as loud as she needed to under his paced motions inside her. His free hand moved from her mouth and wrapped around her waist to support her as her legs became weaker and her lips hid between her front teeth and she bit hard as another moan made an attempt to come out of her. That had to be the hardest challenge she had had to endure so far. Every time the tips of his long fingers hit her right spot she wanted to scream and her legs softened a little more but all she could do was melt a little more around his hand and squeeze his jacket a little harder until her fist was shaking from the pressure. She held her breath for as long as she could and once she inhaled again, a wave of pleasure exploded all over her body starting from her core and moving to her feet and her fingertips, filling her rib cage with a waterfall of euphoria that only became stronger as he kept moving inside her for a short bit while her orgasm took over her. She wrapped an arm around his neck and moved her mouth to his ear so he could hear any wild and quiet sounds that ran out of her mouth but also used his shoulder for support of her head since she had lost control over most of her limbs. He felt the incoming wetness pour over his fingers and dreadfully and carefully made his way out of her to let her recover. She was a complete mess, her body slumped over his, struggling to take a breath deep enough to gain strength over her shaking legs and hands. 

It took her a minute before she was back but when she was, there was one thing to do and that was to kiss him gratefully. 

The kiss tastes like blood probably from her biting her lips and tongue as hard as she had but it was still somehow sweeter than ever. They both prayed that no one had found out about their little adventure or got traumatized. Not that getting kicked out of IKEA for fucking in a wardrobe wasn’t going to be a killer story to tell but neither one of them wanted to go through the trouble. 

Artemis took a deep breath and exhaled before she straightened up and fixed her clothes. Her whole body tingled and her knickers definitely weren’t feeling comfortable since they were soaked but she had to manage somehow until they drove back to her house. 

They cautiously sneaked out of the wardrobe after making sure the coast was clear and walked away quickly, leaving the crime scene behind them before someone did the math of their sudden appearance out of nowhere. 

“We should also have a king bed, so I can move away from you when you snore my brain out of consciousness. “ she tried to put a straight face on but her laughter broke through and earned herself a nudge from him as he was also failing to contain his own giggle. Something about her talking about their future house made his heart flutter and the fact that she had a vision for it and talked about it felt good. It was good reassurance that she also wanted a solid future with him. 

“I do not snore that bad!” he supported, still failing to sound serious. The ring of her laughter made him lose it every time. It was like a clean shot of serotonin that he could never say no to. 

“You really don’t. I could live with it for sure. Especially if you bribe me well. “ she sent him a hinting look.  _ Oh? _

“Are you saying I should bribe you into moving in with me?“ 

She halted and looked at him with a shocked face unsure how to respond. She wasn’t sure she’d heard right. Was he…?

_ Abort. Abort. Abort.  _ He regretted saying it completely. His cheeks flushed in bright red and for a second he thought he had created the most awkward moment in the history of their relationship and expected her to get frosty or tell him off. Was it too soon? He hadn’t even asked her to be his girlfriend officially yet and it was the next big thing on his to-do list. Maybe he should have asked that first before dropping an M bomb on her. He kept scolding himself until she finally responded. 

“No. All you have to do is ask nicely.” 

Massive relief washed over him and he even felt a little dizzy. That was the fastest roller coaster of emotions he had ever been on. 

“Maybe I will. “ he finally shook off the shame and gained his courage back. 

“Maybe you should. “ she winked at him and they started moving again. Her tone was chirpy and playful, so if anything, she was just as excited about living together as he was and that was a mini heart attack on its own. “What does your dream house look like? What will we be looking for once we get there?” 

He thought about it for a moment. The only important thing in the image of his dream house was just Artemis living there with him. Nothing else mattered. He just wanted to come back home to her every day until they both grew old or young, if she managed to have a massive breakthrough with her studies at some point in their future and somehow made them both immortal, and raise a bunch of happy kids and puppies. But what he didn’t know yet was that her dream home looked exactly the same as his. She had never truly wanted kids until she saw herself having them with him. Knowing that he had experience with babies and seeing it first hand definitely made her revelation more solid and there was no doubt Noah was going to win all “best dad” awards. 

“Not too small, not too big. A big kitchen so we could fit our Love Island in it and definitely a king bed, so you can kick and roll around it all night but also we need room for the kids because they always run for safety there. The dogs too. So yeah, big bed. A spacious living room with the comfiest couches for when we read or watch movies together and a whole lot of blankets. And a kids room, for you know...the kids. It would be nice to have shelves for my vinyl collection too and a garage for our cars. “ 

She stared at him, her heart melting at this description. A tear of happiness rolled down her cheek. She struggled to find words and he noticed her surprise. Had he said something wrong? If she hadn’t gotten scared the first time maybe that was it. Back in the Villa, she had told Henrik that she wanted kids and marriage. He specifically had heard her say it and he remembered the jealousy that had seared inside him. 

“We should have a yard with grass too! Kids and puppies need to run. Maybe we can put one of those huge inflatable pools there too. And a huge bookshelf wall for all of our books. Maybe it can be a secret door leading to a very secret room. “ she continued as they walked out of the bedroom section and walked in the kids rooms. Immersed in their mutual dream, walking through the maze of toys, night time lights, double deckered cute beds and cribs made the vision of having a real family hit them almost too hard. Definitely not a first date mood but a Noah-and-Artemis-finally-being-together-after-pining-for-two-months mood and suddenly the need for them to live together had become stronger than ever. Artemis had promised herself to make sure they took it slow and steady and not miss out on the joys of regular dating but they were way past regular dating. Spending two months locked inside a house with a small group of people was doomed to make them grow attached to each other significantly faster compared to the outside world. That was hundreds of hours of a headstart, countless conversations, sharing the same living space, going through tough moments together, doing challenges and most of all, secretly exchanging forbidden looks and little touches. Back then, it seemed like they were never going to be together no matter what, so she had control over her thoughts and wishes but now that she finally had him, all she wanted was to intertwine her life with his and fertilize the soil their dreams were going to grow and bloom in. 

Going through the second floor with the marketplace and the sea of small things took her mind off it for a bit. She wanted to buy everything. Candle holders, golden silverware, artificial flowers, cute plush toys, pots and pans and especially mugs. However, somehow she restrained herself mentally and satisfied her itch with a whole bunch of tea candles. 

“How can it smell exactly like vanilla ice cream?” Noah wondered as he put a gray candle in front of her face for her to smell. “How do you even get the essence of the ice cream and not just the vanilla?” 

“It’s so weird if you think about it. We have things that smell exactly like food but they’re not food but we enjoy making our homes smell like food. Here, you take one and I take one for each of our houses. You can only light it up when I’m there or maybe when you miss me too much. “ she handed him one and took one for herself and beamed widely at him. 

“So you want our relationship to smell like vanilla ice cream?” 

“It’s a good scent for a relationship, isn’t it? Almost as sweet and delicious as you. “ she boosted herself on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek that flushed in red under her lips. He tried to distract the attention from his face by taking the stack of candles from her hands and she didn’t seem to notice as her face suddenly switched as the birth of an idea shone on it. “Stay here. “ 

He obeyed and watched as she disappeared behind a corner for a minute before running back towards him with a tiny succulent looking plant in one hand. 

“What is this?” he questioned. Three packs of tea candles, two vanilla ice cream candles and a plant. If anything could sum up every trip to Ikea, then it was definitely these three things. 

“It’s our love fern! And we can’t kill it because it’s artificial. “ she choked up a laugh and waited for his reaction. He burst out laughing after he caught her reference and pulled her closer until her body was tightly touching his. 

“You’re so cute.” his lips planted a kiss on the top of her head. It was beyond him how she had the ability to switch between being incredibly alluring and sexy and being the most adorable thing he had ever seen. In any way, he felt like the luckiest man on the planet. 

“It’s so...succulent. “ she whispered and sent them both in another fit of laughter. 

“Oh no, wait until Bobby and Rahim hear you’re using their jokes when they’re not around.”

“Hey! I was a part of their team. I was the first person they told. “ 

After another sweet kiss, they made their way to the registers. Several more people turned to look at them once they lined up but they chose to ignore it again. It was probably going to be like that for a while until the drama of their love triangle became old news and no longer exciting. Very soon, the questions about Noah were going to significantly increase at every interview and she would no longer be able or allowed to request to not be asked about him. The people wanted to know if him and her were back together and there was nothing else to be done but to tell the truth and face the music. 

“Oh my god! Hi guys!” the cashier girl greeted, a polite smile on her face. She definitely knew who they were and they both quietly appreciated her not saying anything further after politely returning the gesture. Noah took his card out and for a short second Artemis wanted to shove his hand away and pay for everything but she figured he would have liked to feel more...in control. Hope’s stupid financial remark had stuck in his head and she definitely didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable again. The girl across from them looked at each of them with a certain excitement and rang them up quickly. “Sign here, please. “

Noah scribbled a signature on the receipt and gave it back while Artemis grabbed everything else. She had the perfect vision of what she wanted to do with all the candles and with some good luck from the universe, it was going to be stellar. The evening was still young and their date didn’t feel like it was reaching its end at all. There was a whole new adventure to be had that night. After thanking the kind stranger and saying goodbye, they ambled towards the exit and Noah’s car, butterflies starting their new shift in their stomachs. 

“That was fun. “ she giggled once she sat down on her seat inside the car. “Thank you.” 

“No, babe. Thank  ** _you_ ** . “ he leaned to kiss her, innocent smiles drawing both of their mouths. Him lips kept going back for more as if addicted to the chemical reaction that hers triggered inside him. For the first time ever, Artemis felt comfortable being in love and letting it flow out of her. She couldn’t shake the urge to smile and laugh around him mixed with how much she wanted to fuck him. The more of his romantic side she was seeing, the more in love with him she felt even when she was sure she couldn’t fall deeper. 

As he drove towards her house, the giddy feeling got replaced with the well known lust that was introduced by the memory of her teasing him during traffic the other day. The only reason she hadn’t let her hands touch him was because he had been generous with her in that wardrobe, so she kept it in for when they were inside. 

He kept stealing little gazes along the ride, his hand finding a comfortable spot on her thigh whenever he wasn’t switching between gears, every time he went back to it, he moved a little further up.  _ Fuck.  _

She sighed in frustration and bit her lip, suddenly aroused and ready to go all over again. The sight of him driving was already hot enough, his hand touching her while he pretended to be chill was working up a whole new level of thirst inside her. 

He parked the car in the same spot as before, this time significantly less nervous and a lot more turned on and confident. Important things were said and done in the past several hours they had spent together. Things that definitely changed the pace and course of their relationship and gave him reassurance and stability. 

“So...would you like to come over?” she finally asked after a short pause they both took to recap everything so far. 

“ _ I would love to. “  _

  
  
  



End file.
